A new anti-malaria drug, Lonart, an Artemisinin-based combination preparations, which is one of the two drugs recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO), as first line drugs in the treatment of malaria in Africa, is due for launch this week at the annual scientific conference of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria in Owerri.
Lonart is a novel anti-malaria drug with documented clinical cure rate of about 95 percent.
The Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), has since adopted the recommendation of WHO, but the price of the drug has prevented its accessibility by many Nigerians.
Marketing manager of Greenlife Pharmaceuticals, Lagos, the marketers of Lonart, Mr. Chidozie Bede- Nwokoye, said the company has slashed the shelf prices of the drug by 50 percent.
“Our desire to make the drugs not only available but also affordable has forced us to reduce the prices substantially. While the full adult dose of the other brand of the product, sells at N1,200, Lonart is selling at N750. For the suspension, 60ml dose which sells at N1,000. Lonart suspension cost only N550,” he said.
“Lonart is in tablets, suspension and suppositories. It is essentially a combination of Artemether and Lumefantrine, It is one of the two artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs) recommended by the World Health Organisation to be adopted as first line drugs in the treatment of malaria in Africa,� he said.
To Dr Bamigboye Bankole, Programme coordinator Roll Back Malaria in Nigeria, �FMOH in conjunction with WHO carried out trials of some ACTs and presented a policy statement that only Artemether + Lumefantrine and Artesunate + Amodiaquine combinations will be adopted as ACTs for first line treatment of malaria.
Nov192006