Research: Don seeks increased funding to boost local drugs production 

Prof. Ndidi Ngwuluka of the Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Jos, has urged Federal Government to fund more research to boost drugs production.

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Ngwuluka, a professor of Naturapolyceutic and Pharmaceutical Quality, made the call while delivering the 109 inaugural lecture of the university, titled “Naturapolyceutics: The Sine Qua Non of Drug Delivery” in Jos.

The lecturer, who is also the Dean, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the university, said the research should focus on production of quality drugs using natural and local materials.

She said the use of synthetic materials to produce drugs is inimical to the human system, insisting that adequate research would promote local and quality drug production.

She added that “what you see available are synthetic materials, that is, materials that are made by man.

“But what we are saying is that God made natural materials to help us formulate medicines, these natural materials are safer, effective and will deliver the drugs to the side of action.

“We are encouraging people to begin to look into nature and use the materials therein to formulate products that will be safer because a large number of people react to synthetic materials.

“So, government should invest in research to boost the availability of natural materials to enable the pharmaceutical companies use them to produce enough drugs for the people.”

Ngwuluka, who further said that synthetic materials are also inimical to the environment, emphasised that they don’t degrade as the natural materials.

She debunked claims making the rounds that some pharmaceutical companies were against the production of drugs using local and natural materials, insisting that “the nation hasn’t been able to produce these natural materials in large quantity to serve the companies.

“Synthetic materials are not good for the environment because they do not degrade, but natural polymer do, they are also compatible with the body system.

“So, we should naturally go for them, rather than go for the ones that we think are easy to produce. Let’s not run away from what nature is offering us freely.

“Pharmaceutical companies are not fighting the use of natural materials, the problem is that we have not done enough study to propel the companies to take up these materials.

“The natural materials are not yet in large quantity for the pharmaceutical industry to consider depending solely on them for production.”

The don also urged the private sector and individuals to invest in research, adding that no country thrives without regular research that would propel local drugs production.

NAN/Wumi