UNIJOS makes breakthrough in anti-malaria drug

Posted by admin Headlines, Plateau, State News Thursday, February 23rd, 2012

University of Jos has made a breakthrough in the commercial cultivation of Artemisinin, which is a major component in the production of Artemisin Combination Therapy (ACT), which is currently being adjudged as the best solution to the increasing resistance of malaria parasites to anti malaria drug.

Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Hayward Babale Mafuyei said this at a press conference at the Bauchi Road Campus of the institution that the breakthrough was made possible by the funding received by the University’s Centre for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering under the Science and Technology for Post Basic Education (STEP-B) project of the Federal Ministry of Education and the World Bank.

He explained that the Artemisia annua is a plant used in the treatment of malaria and that until recently, it was only known to have been grown in China, India, East Africa and the Island of Madagascar, but that now, the university has successfully cultivated three and half hectares of land at the university’s farm at Gangnim in Langtang South Local Government Area of Plateau State for the malaria drug production in commercial scale.

He revealed that the multi disciplinary scientists of the institution have successfully tested and confirmed the growing of the Artemisia annua for research and large scale production, adding that they have already harvested 283 kg of its dry leaves and 48 Kg of its seeds. The dry leaves, the Vice Chancellor revealed have been tested at the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) Abuja by both national and international scientists and it has been confirmed that the Artemisinin content of the dried leaves grown by the institution contains 4.8percent of Artesinin weight which is higher than the strains of the plant grown in other parts of the world.

The growing of this wonder plant by local farmers he explained, could now serve, as a source of revenue for their families, while helping to service the raw materials needs of pharmaceutical industries.

He announced that with the research discovery, the project has graduated research postgraduate students (male and female) at both masters and PhD levels whose research focus covered aspects of the plant and recent innovation in the treatment of malaria disease.

The Vice Chancellor disclosed that the institution had also procured more laboratory equipment and chemicals to enhance the teaching of biotechnology in the centre for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering.

He called on pharmaceutical companies to partner with the university to acquire adequate quantity of the plant and engage in the local production of the plant for the treatment of malaria; stating that this would stimulate local pharmaceutical industry and bring down the cost of anti malaria drugs, while checking the problem of importation of fake drugs.

He equally appealed to other stakeholders such as medicinal research plant institutes, raw material development council and the national biotechnology development agency to partner with university of Jos in the continued cultivation and research on the Artemisia annua for treating malaria.

-Sunwp_posts