Nigeria ready to produce anti-snake venom — NASIDI

Nigeria has the capacity and expertise to produce the  anti-snake venom and is set to begin production once approval is given.

snake

The Chief Executive Officer , Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, Prof.  Abdulsalami Nasidi, says local production would bridge the gap expected to be created after Wyeth ceases production of  commercial Micrurus fulvius antivenom in the country by October 2015.

Nasidi said the snake anti venom is presently  produced by Echi TAB in collaboration with UK and Costa Rica but that it was championed by Echi TAB and the Nigerian study group.

About  $3-5 million is needed to undertake studies needed to get approval by theFood and Drug Administration.

Nasidi explaqins that  Nigeria/UK will rise to the challenge and fill the gap created by the suspension of the anti-snake venom by Wyeth once investments are to have it approved.

“It’s ridiculous that we’re losing a technology that we already have. It’s even more ludicrous that we have a product that’s available, and we have to jump through so many hoops to get it approved,” says Joe Pittman, a snakebite treatment specialist at the Florida Poison Information Center in Tampa.

Moves have been on since July 2009, to raise the estimated $3 million to $5 million required for the studies.