“The Calabar Pharmaceutical Company, CalaPharm, was built to contribute to the achievement of the Federal Government’s target of greater reliance on local drug production”, says the immediate past Cross River State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Inyang Asibong.
Dr. Asibong disclosed this in an exclusive interview with PARADISE NEWS (www.paradisenews.ng) in September, 2019, adding that the Government of Cross River State needs the support of the Federal Government of Nigeria, United Nations (UN), World Health Organisation (WHO), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and other donor organisations to effectively run the pharmaceutical company.
She also said that the CalaPharm is near completion and all the drugs to be produced by the company will be environmentally friendly.
ANS: Products that will be manufactured in the Cross River Pharmaceutical Company Limited are basically drawn from the Essential Medicines List, and Artemeter + Lumefantrine (tablet/powder/syrup) which is the malaria combination will also be produced. The manufacturing of these products will be in phases as determined by the management, health needs and other socioeconomic factors. We can’t out rightly produce malaria drugs or vaccines for one year straight because there’s always a need to intermittently improve on the drugs following the WHO specifications. Our team of pharmacists are doing their best in this regard, let’s keep our fingers crossed.
QS: Where will the raw materials be sourced from?
ANS: Local content basically
QS: Will all drugs/vaccines manufactured by CalaPharm pass through WHO approval?
ANS: WHO has three-level hierarchical approach to monitoring and assessing pharmaceutical situations, and we’re working assiduously to stay within this level.
QS: Do the state need support from Federal Government or donor organisations like the UN, WHO, USAID, to effectively run the pharmaceutical company?
ANS: Collaboration is key for any business to succeed either in terms of finance, human capital development or donations. The State needs the support just as you’ve mentioned but what’s important are the baby steps we’ve taken to get to where we are now.
QS: What’s the essence of building the company in the first place as pertaining Cross River State and Nigeria?
ANS: The need for increased capacity in local drug production is a well-recognised fact. The essence is to contribute to the achievement of the Federal Government’s target of greater reliance on local drug production. The Cross River State Government led by the very visionary, industrially-focused, proactive and pragmatic Executive Governor, Sen. (Prof.) Ben Ayade, thought of this before establishing the pharmaceutical company.
QS: Will the drugs be environmental friendly – knowing fully well our climate conditions?
ANS: CalaPharm is registered with the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) and NAFDAC, as well as mandatory memberships with industry specific bodies and organisations like Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Group-Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN) and Nigerian Association of Industrial Pharmacists (NAIP). All of these bodies ensure the compliance with the drug standard and regulation with respect to our environment and climate, so I make bold to say that all the drugs will be environmentally friendly.
QS: Does CalaPharm has the capacity to produce drugs during disease outbreak?
ANS: The National Drug Policy of Nigeria, as adopted and launched, was formulated with laudable goals and objectives to address the high dependence on foreign sources for finished drug products, pharmaceutical raw materials, reagents and equipments, and other inadequacies in drug availability, supply and distribution. The full functionality of CalaPharm as designed will help to provide safe, efficacious and good quality drugs to meet the health needs of Nigerians and beyond. In this regard, we have already installed two Dry powder syrup machines, Capsules production machine, Blenders and Mixers, two ALU-PVC and one ALU-ALU blistering machines. While some of the Quality Control/Quality Assurance laboratory equipment are in the laboratory but yet to be installed as some other equipment are being expected to arrive anytime soon.
QS: What stage is the company now, since when you last visited and when you left office?
ANS: The Cross River State Pharmaceutical Company Limited sits on a 500mtr/sqr story building located at the Ayade Industrial Park, Goodluck Jonathan Bypass, Calabar, beside the Garment factory. Its gigantic building is fully completed and very well partitioned with some infrastructures in place such as two Dry powder syrup machines, Capsules production machine, Blenders and Mixers, two ALU-PVC and one ALU-ALU blistering machines, all of which represents the Production machines already installed at the facility. Some of the Quality Control/Quality Assurance laboratory equipment are in the company’s laboratory but yet to be installed as some other equipment are being expected. Some furnishings have been put in place as well. However, work is still ongoing much in some areas like Air Handling units, Water Treatment plants and furniture, and completion of some civil works within and outside the complex such as plumbing works and factory fencing.
Dry powder syrup manufacturing line to produce Anti Malaria syrup for children at the CalaPharm Nigeria Ltd.
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