The National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development says it has launched a research into the development of a “fixed dose combination” treatment for Lassa fever.
Prof. Karniyus Gamaliel, the Director-General of the institute, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Tuesday.
Gamaliel explained that the research was targeted at locally developing a sustainable preventive method against the virus.
The director-general said this would enable the Federal Government put up a more resilient battle against the virus in order to “stamp it out” totally.
According to Gamaliel, this infection has for the past few years been reoccurring, adding: “It is possible to eradicate it and that is the role of research centres like the institute.
“We are making efforts towards carrying out research on Lassa fever.
“We are proposing to develop a fixed dose combination treatment because it is possible to totally eradicate the virus in Nigeria and prevent it from reoccurring again.
“If we do not get this preventive method up and running, what then can we say we have done for the victims?
“It is by putting out a drug to assure people that all hope is not lost.
“As at now, we have not been able to produce any drug for Lassa fever.
“The drugs being used for the treatment of the virus is not from us.
“We have on draft some line ups in this area.
“We want to propose a fixed dose combination treatment for the virus.
“We have turned on the search light to produce a fixed dose combination treatment for Lassa fever since it is less fatal.
“That is there is treatment available for it.”
The director-general said the institute was also focusing on the fixed dose combination treatment because the institute did not have the capacity to produce vaccines.
Gamaliel said unlike the Ebola virus, which was yet to get an approved treatment, there were drugs available for the successful treatment of Lassa fever if the virus was detected early.
Gamaliel, however, said the method of transmission of Ebola and Lassa fever was different, although both viral infections were very deadly if not treated promptly.
He said: “For Ebola, there is still no approved drug to treat the infection, but what the Institute has done is to carry out research into drugs approved for use on human to treat related viral infection.
“We carried out laboratory tests to check whether these drugs when combined can reduce the viral load of Ebola in laboratory animals.
“This is a unique strategy, which we call ‘fixed dose combination’.
“In fact, the Institute is the first to have brought up the idea of a fixed dose combination in this area.”
Gamaliel said although the institute carried out this clinical study, it still needed to test the product in a viral culture laboratory before approval for administration could be granted by the World Health Organisation.
According to him: “Nigeria does not have this facility.
“Therefore we are relying on our international partners and collaborators who will assist us in shipping this drug to a laboratory that can have viral culture tested.”
Gamaliel said the Institute was also working with the Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control to achieve this.
Gamaniel said the research for a fixed dose combination treatment for Lassa fever emanated due to success recorded so far in the development of fixed dose combination drug for Ebola virus.
NAN.
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