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Recently, Geneith Pharmaceutical Limited, Lagos, concluded campaigns in creating awareness on how to use malaria drugs to achieve good result.
The company’s Chairman, Mr Emmanual Umenwa, later fielded questions from journalists on the activities of the company.
What was the inspiration for setting up Geneith Pharm and how has the company faired in the pharmaceutical industry amidst competition?
Geneith Pharmaceuticals Limited was birthed out of the desire to bridge the gap in certain critical areas of health care delivery. Hitherto, the major players in the pharmaceutical industries were companies from Europe and America. The Asian Tigers offered more affordable options and we keyed in and established partnership with well-known GMP certified pharmaceutical industries that guaranteed quality. This was how Geneith Pharmaceuticals Limited came to be known and associated with quality. Our core values of integrity, commitment and innovation have stood us apart from other companies.
What do you consider the greatest threat to quality medication and administration in Nigeria?
There are multiplicity of threats to the industry; principal among these would be operational cost and policy summersaults. The cost of doing business in Nigeria has remained high. Steady power supply alone can reduce by 40 per cent the operational cost of doing pharmaceutical business in Nigeria. There is also need to improve the ease of doing business whether it is importation of machinery, raw materials or finished products. Government policies need to be more stable to encourage long-term planning. Multiple taxation is another factor limiting the ease of doing business in Nigeria.
How has Geneith Pharm impacted the Nigerian economy? Does the company have CSR programme?
Apart from primarily producing affordable and quality pharmaceutical products, we have been engaged in series of humanitarian gestures in our immediate environment and the nation at large. We have supported health advocacy groups with information, sponsorships and pharmaceutical products. We have partnered with various institutions like Federal Medical Centres in Birnin Kebbi, Abeokuta and Abakiliki, among others in developing infrastructure critical to the delivery of affordable and quality healthcare in these institutions.
Where do you see Geneith Pharm in the next five years in terms of innovation?
We want to position Geneith Pharmaceuticals Limited as a 21st Century company that will respond to the technologically driven needs of its teaming customers. We want to develop worldclass brands that are acceptable both locally and internationally. We are deploying technology in its latest forms in building a worldclass factory and a customer driven commercial interface. In five years time we want to be able to service the needs of our customers from their most convenient location within the confines of the provision of the relevant regulatory authorities.
Recently, Geneith Pharma launched a campaign on malaria awareness. What triggered this campaign?
As a business concern our primary target is to deliver a healthy ROI for our investors. However, as a form of giving back to the society we deemed it fit to provide needed information on malaria prevention, testing and treatment (PTT). Activities hinged on these three pillars have been carried out as a form of CRS. You would be surprised that issues as seemingly insignificant as storage condition can cause degradation and subsequently ineffectiveness of some drugs, for example, the soft gels. In summary, total malaria awareness from A-Z is what we hope to achieve in this campaign.
The WHO African Region carries a disproportionately high share of malaria burden. In 2017, the region was home to 92 per cent of malaria cases and 93 per cent of malaria deaths. With all the medications or drugs in the market, researches, etc, why is malaria still this endemic in Africa?
Simple answer: we live in an environment whose climatic and economic realities support the thriving of the female anopheles mosquito, the vector responsible for the transmission of the malaria parasite. The environmental challenges such as poor drainages (breeding grounds for mosquito) poor sanitary standard and a plethora of economically challenged populace have made malaria prevention a herculean task and eradication a mirage for now, especially in Africa (and sub-Sahara Africa to be more precise).
In the cause of this campaign, we have seen emphasis on a new technology in malaria drug meant to effectively tackle malaria resistance and stop complications associated with treatment of the disease. Kindly tell us about soft gel technology?
Softgel is a unique technology that delivers the active ingredient of an anti-malaria faster by eliminating multiple processes of disintegration of granules to solution before absorption. This enhances a faster onset of action. The soft gelatin nature of the capsules makes it tasteless, odourless and easy to swallow. All these attributes ensure compliance (a major challenge with drug administration). The ultimate result is a rapid relief from the symptoms of malaria.
What are soft gels made of and how are soft gels used and what are the proper ways of preservations and storage?
As the name implies, they are made of soft gelatin. It is an oral dosage similar to a capsule. It consists of a gelatin shell surrounding liquid fill. It is essentially a combination of gelatin, water and an opacifier and plasticizer. Soft gelatin capsules are generally sensitive to high temperature and humidity. Therefore, they should be stored in a cool dry place below 30 centigrade.
What do you think Nigerians need to learn more about soft gels?
To protect from heat and moisture. They should not be left in enclosed environment that could precipitate unwarranted heat and moisture. For instance, they should not be left for long in the booth of a car or kept near a source of elevated temperature. Coatal soft gel is an example of such soft gelatin capsules.
How is the market acceptance of the drug and how have you been able to curb the incident of adulteration?
The product has been well accepted for not only the unique benefits it offers, but also because Geneith Pharmaceuticals Limited is a name tested and trusted in the provision of quality pharmaceutical products. We have deployed the Mobile Authentication System (MAS) to ensure that every Coatal softgel and indeed any other product from Geneith Pharm is authenticated via a simple sms based system
How affordable is the soft gel drug?
It is quite affordable at less than 800 per dose in the retail outlets.
