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Atunse Healthcare has announced plans to manufacture and distribute advanced regenerative biologics in Nigeria while training local scientists and clinicians to support the country’s emerging biotechnology industry.
The African-led healthcare company said the initiative is aimed at reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imported advanced medical therapies and curbing the growing trend of medical tourism by making cutting-edge treatments available locally.
Speaking at the company’s launch in Lagos, President and Chairman of Atunse Healthcare Ltd, Prof. Kamar T. Adeleke, said the company was established to ensure that Nigerians no longer have to travel abroad to access advanced medical care.
“For a generation, the most advanced medicine available has been something Nigerians travelled for, if they could afford the journey. Atunse was founded on the belief that they should not have to, and that the capability to deliver and eventually produce such medicine belongs on the continent rather than at the end of an import chain,” he said.
According to Adeleke, Atunse Healthcare currently provides services across six areas: aesthetic medicine, longevity and vitality, men’s wellness, women’s wellness, musculoskeletal support and neurological care.
He noted that Africa imports about 99 per cent of its vaccines and more than 95 per cent of the medicines it consumes, while producing less than one per cent of its vaccine requirements. He added that Nigeria lost an estimated $2.39 billion to outbound medical tourism in 2024, leaving many citizens who cannot afford overseas treatment without access to advanced healthcare.
Adeleke explained that Atunse Healthcare is a partnership between KweHealth LLC of the United States and Nigeria’s Tri-State Healthcare System, combining international scientific and manufacturing expertise with local clinical capacity.
He said the company is simultaneously developing four key capabilities: clinical service delivery through a treatment centre in Nigeria; advanced biomanufacturing with plans to achieve current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP)-grade production of advanced biologics and, eventually, vaccines, cell therapies and gene therapies; research and clinical translation to ensure scientific discoveries are generated in Africa; and regulatory capacity in collaboration with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
