The Director-General of NAFDAC has advised drug manufacturers to consider aiming for WHO pre-qualification status.

In the past week, the Nigerian government has been celebrating the remarkable achievement of a local pharmaceutical company that obtained pre-qualification status from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has encouraged local drug manufacturers to follow the example of Swiss Pharma Nigeria Limited. The company’s second product, Sulfadoxine Plus Pyrimethamine (SP) 500/25 mg, which is a tablet for the prevention of malaria in pregnancy, has been pre-qualified by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, who made the call during a news briefing in Lagos on Thursday, said other local drug manufacturers can achieve a similar feat through the harmonisation of collective aspiration and synergy of effort with NAFDAC’s relevant directorates.

Recall that the WHO prequalification unit prequalified Swiss Pharma’s second product, Sulfadoxine Plus Pyrimethamine (SP) 500/25 mg tablet, into its list of prequalified products.

Adeyeye stated, “This milestone makes our organisation the first indigenous manufacturer in Nigeria to achieve this commendable accomplishment in West and Central Africa. It is the result of significant collaboration between Swiss Pharma Nigeria Limited and NAFDAC, as well as the diligent implementation of NAFDAC policies.”

Adeyeye highlighted the advantages of having a drug listed as a prequalified medicine by the WHO. She mentioned that manufacturers of prequalified medicines stand to benefit significantly as they can sell their products worldwide. Specifically, she referred to an anti-malaria drug commonly used in Africa and emphasised that if a company like Swiss Pharma Nigeria Limited wanted to trade across the continent, having prequalified medicine status would ensure widespread acceptance of the drug, leading to increased market share.

“If the WHO pre-qualifies your product, it gives your company access to the global market. Once you have achieved pre-qualification, it becomes easier to replicate with other products. Therefore, having a pre-qualified product can lead to gaining market share and shaping the market, which are significant benefits for a company.”

Adeyeye further stated, “As an organisation focused on customer satisfaction and dedicated to serving the industry, we are willing to support additional local manufacturers who have consistently demonstrated compliance with our existing regulations over the years. “During this crucial period in our nation’s history, as the Federal Government has issued executive orders to promote indigenous drug manufacturing, we can work together to replicate this success and encourage more local manufacturers to achieve similar global recognition.”