Cross River: Calapharm to produce meningitis, lassa fever vaccine

The Cross River State pharmaceutical company, (Calapharm) is to produce meningitis and lassa fever vaccines.

Disclosing this on Tuesday, the Commissioner for commerce and industry, Mr Peter Akam Egba said the company would produce drugs and vaccine that would tackle the menace of deadly diseases such as meningitis and Lassa fever, thereby stopping importation of drugs for such ailments,

Conducting newsmen around the Calabar Pharmaceutical Company, the Garment Factory and the Calabar Rice City currently under construction by the Ayade-led administration, the commissioner disclosed that Calapharm was the first of its kind in the country.

“The drugs will be produced locally. This is a gigantic project. We have the laboratories where the drugs will pass through all scientific processes; we have department in which packaging will be done. The idea behind this project is to basically reduce, if not eliminate, importation of drugs into Nigeria,” he said.

On the rice city laboratory, Egba said the State government was in collaboration with companies and experts in Thailand for technology which would multiply improved rice seedlings production so as to ensure the vision becomes a reality.

“The difference between us and other States which are into rice production is that ours is more digitalized particularly with this type of facilities.

“The technology is that hybrid seedlings are planted in such a way that you could fold it like rug carpet, take it to your farm and spread,” he said.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for information, Pastor Rosemary Archibong explained that the area would be a beehive of industrial activities as investors were scrambling to relocate their industries and businesses to Calabar.

She said “The digitalized rice city laboratory will help Nigeria dethrone Thailand and become highest rice producer in the world”, adding that research work on improved seedlings would take place in the rice city after which the improved species are sent for planting in rice farms.

On how to source for raw materials for the pharmaceutical company, Pakistani Managing Director of Calapharm, Farhan Ahmade Khan, said, “For now, the raw materials which will feed the industry will be imported because Nigeria does not have most of the chemicals to use in producing most of the drugs.

“We will import the chemical but we will do all the medical works and packaging here. Our main focus is on mother and child health. We will launch the pharmaceutical company with 40 products initially.

“We will produce syrups, tablets, syringes and injections. One thing that is not produced in Nigeria is vaccine, which we in Calapharm will produce early next year.

“We are seeking to complement AyadeCare programme with quality medicine, and this will boost economy of Cross River state. The cost of the drugs will be such that all Cross Riverians will be able to afford.”