Category: Health

By  Adekunle Yusuf

Hope of victory over coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic rises as Pfizer and BioNTech said they have begun delivering doses of their experimental coronavirus vaccines for initial human testing in the United States.

What this means is that if the vaccine proves to be safe and effective in trials, it could be ready for wide distribution in the US by the end of the year, the US drug maker and German partner said.

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) and BioNTech SE (Nasdaq: BNTX) announced on Wednesday that the first participants have been dosed in the US in the Phase 1/2 clinical trial for the BNT162 vaccine programme to prevent COVID-19.

The trial is part of a global development programme, and the dosing of the first cohort in Germany was completed last week. The phase 1/2 study is designed to determine the safety, immunogenicity and optimal dose level of four mRNA vaccine candidates evaluated in a single, continuous study.

The vaccine, which uses messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, has the potential to be among the first vaccines against the virus that has infected more than one million people in the US and killed some 68,000.

The dose level escalation portion (stage 1) of the phase 1/2 trial in the US will enrol up to 360 healthy subjects into two age cohorts (18-55 and 65-85).

The first subjects immunised in stage one of the study will be healthy adults between 18 and 55. Older adults will only be immunised with a given dose level of a vaccine candidate once testing of that candidate and dose level in younger adults has provided initial evidence of safety and immunogenicity.

Sites dosing participants include NYU Grossman School of Medicine and the University of Maryland School Of Medicine, with the University of Rochester Medical Centre/Rochester Regional Health and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Centre to begin enrolment shortly.

“With our unique and robust clinical study programme underway, starting in Europe and now the US, we look forward to advancing quickly and collaboratively with our partners at BioNTech and regulatory authorities to bring a safe and efficacious vaccine to the patients who need it most.

‘’The short, less than four-month timeframe in which we’ve been able to move from pre-clinical studies to human testing is extraordinary and further demonstrates our commitment to dedicating our best-in-class resources, from the lab to manufacturing and beyond, in the battle against COVID-19,” said Albert Bourla, Chairman and CEO, Pfizer.

There are no approved treatments or vaccines for the new coronavirus, though some drugs are being used on patients under an emergency use authorisation. Pfizer and BioNTech’s development programme includes four vaccine candidates, each representing a different combination of mRNA format and target antigen.

The novel design of the trial allows for the evaluation of the various mRNA candidates simultaneously in order to identify the safest and potentially most efficacious candidate in a greater number of volunteers, in a manner that will facilitate the sharing of data with regulatory authorities in real time.

“It is encouraging that we have been able to leverage more than a decade of experience in developing our mRNA platforms to initiate a global clinical trial in multiple regions for our vaccine program in such a short period.

We are optimistic that advancing multiple vaccine candidates into human trials will allow us to identify the safest, most effective vaccination options against COVID-19,” said CEO and Co-founder of BioNTech, Ugur Sahin.

During the clinical development stage, BioNTech will provide clinical supply of the vaccine from its GMP-certified mRNA manufacturing facilities in Europe. In anticipation of a successful clinical development programme, Pfizer and BioNTech are working to scale up production for global supply.

Pfizer plans to activate its extensive manufacturing network and invest at risk in an effort to produce an approved COVID-19 vaccine as quickly as possible for those most in need around the world. The breadth of this programme should allow production of millions of vaccine doses in the year, increasing to hundreds of millions next year.

Pfizer-owned sites in three US states (Massachusetts, Michigan and Missouri) and Puurs, Belgium have been identified as manufacturing centers for COVID-19 vaccine production, with more sites to be selected.

Through its mRNA production sites in Mainz and Idar-Oberstein, Germany, BioNTech plans to ramp up its production to provide further capacities for a global supply of the potential vaccine.

BioNTech and Pfizer will commercialise the vaccine worldwide upon regulatory approval (excluding China, where BioNTech has a collaboration with Fosun Pharma for BNT162 for clinical development and commercialisation).

By  Adekunle Yusuf

The Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN) has recommended strategies for managing coronavirus patients.

In a message, its President, Dr. Bartholomew Brai, said it is important to promote adequate nutrition during the pandemic and reduce post-COVID-19 burden and severity of malnutrition.

By synergising efforts among  stakeholders in a way that promotes the health and well-being of Nigerians through adequate nutrition across the lifecycle, the impact of the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic can be lessened, the society said.

Since its outbreak in China last December, the pandemic has resulted in mopping up the financial resources of households, communities, states, and nations, as well as disrupting the food system and existing strategies to address high burden of malnutrition.

For newborns, infants and young children, the society said nutrition should address across the lifecycle, since there is currently no evidence of transmission of the coronavirus through breastfeeding.

The NSN reiterated that breast milk alone (without accompaniments like water etc.) remains the safest and most nutritious meal for infants aged zero to six months.

“Exclusive breastfeeding and continued breastfeeding up to the age of 24 months should be sustained. Mothers in isolation should be encouraged to express their breast milk using a dedicated breast pump and observe hand hygiene and disinfection of pump and other utensils.

“Expressed milk should be fed to the newborn by a healthy caregiver. During rooming-in, mothers should put on a face mask and practise hand hygiene before putting the newborn to the breast. Complementary foods should cover at least four food groups and be served warm.

Recommended meal frequencies are  two to three times a day for ages sixto eight months and three to four times a day for ages nine to 23 months for a breastfed child.

For a non-breastfed child aged six-23months, meal frequency should be at least four times a day to provide adequate nutrition,” Brai said.

The NSN is also concerned that school-age children, especially those in public schools who benefit from school feeding programmes, may be particularly disadvantaged.

For this category of children, the society advised parents to provide an extra meal daily for their wards where they are capable.

For adolescents and adults, NSN stated that appropriate diet and lifestyle measures are important to sustain body immunity and promote health and well-being, adding that the lockdown offered the opportunity to reinforce health-promoting lifestyle such as diet, sleep (about eight hours daily) and physical activity.

“Micronutrients are critical for health and essential in strengthening the immune system, thus eat fresh and varieties of foods, such as roots/tubers and cereals, legumes, meat, poultry and fish, milk and milk products; fruits and vegetables (about one-third of food plate), nuts and seeds; hydration is vital, thus intakes of about eight cups of water daily is recommended, limit salt and sugar intake, choose healthy snacks over pastries and limit consumption of soft drinks, alcohol and spirits.

“In the case of food price hikes, individuals could select alternative foods to replace usual food items. Cocoyam or sweet potato can be purchased instead of yam, white beans may be an alternative to red variety, low priced fish or edible insects may be alternative animal foods etc.Though transmission through food is not likely, proper food hygiene should be maintained.

‘’Hand washing should be observed after returning home, and before preparing or eating food. Food items should be washed thoroughly under running water or using vinegar. At present, there is no evidence on the efficacy of any dietary supplements or herbs in the prevention and management of COVID-19.

“Every case should, therefore, be reported to the state team for follow-up and proper management. At this time, children should not accompany adults to the markets, shopping mall, supermarkets and other public places. Social distancing and home-stay should be religiously adhered to.

This may lead to reduced physical activity with the resultant effect on energy balance. However, safe, home-based physical activities, such brisk-walk within your compound, jumping jacks, skipping, push-ups, and running may be helpful, especially for overweight and obese individuals. Individuals are encouraged to make provision for own wipes and hand sanitiser where possible and use periodically,” Brai added.

For COVID-19 infected persons, the society said nutrition support is a component of health care and should be included in the management of all patients with attention on energy, protein and fluid balance maintenance.

Also, following high mortality among older people affected by COVID-19, NSN said adequate nutrition and management of secondary conditions/infection of the older population should be ensured.

“The society calls on the federal and state governments to ensure the provision and proper use of personal protective equipment and hand sanitisers by health workers and support staff to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Likewise, periodic disinfection of surface systems, including doorknobs, doorways, tables, shopping cart/basket handles, elevator buttons and scales in supermarkets, market stalls, clinics, and other public facilities should be enforced.”

For communities where loss of purchasing power, food price hikes, and panic purchase already exist, NSN recommended that the government should make efforts to stabilise food supply and regulate food prices.

Suggested measures include the release of food stocks from grain reserves, tax relief on food items, relaxation of the restriction on food distribution channels, and scale-up support for smallholder farmers.

In addition, food surveillance system including monitoring of food prices is recommended.

“The government and other stakeholders should make efforts to provide food and nutrition support to indigent households, intensify community management of acute malnutrition and similar ongoing interventions, and scale up existing social protection programmes especially for the older population,” Brai said.

By Mike Odiegwu, Port Harcourt

Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike has decried lack of Federal Government’s COVID-19 testing centres in the state despite economic contributions of Rivers.

The Governor also asked wealthy people in the state to stop criticisms and contribute to his administration’s efforts to end the coronavirus pandemic.

Wike spoke at the weekend when he received a COVID-19 test kit known as Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction , Reagents and Busters for RT-PCR from former Governor Peter Odili of Pamo Clinics and Hospitals.

The Governor, who received the equipment at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital Port Harcourt, described the items as critical to tackling coronavirus in the state.

He said: “This is a presentation of PCR , reagents and necessary test kits. This is not a time to criticize. This is not a time to give reasons, but a time to support. This should be a collective effort to curtail the spread of this pandemic.”

Wike called on all wealthy Rivers indigenes to use their resources to invest in supporting the state saying there was a need to support the less privileged.

Read Also: UPDATED: Nasarawa lawmaker dies of COVID-19

He thanked the former governor for always working to promote the interest of the state.

He said: “To protect lives is very important to you. That is what we have done today. You have shown that humanity is important to you.

“I thank you so much. With what what you have done, those Rivers people who have been sleeping in Lagos and Abuja will be encouraged to work for the State. ”

Odili commended Wike for reviving and equipping the State Teaching Hospital.

He also lauded the Governor for the statewide distribution of Palliatives, saying that Rivers people appreciated Wike’s benevolence.

On the fight against coronavirus, Odili said that the entire world is at war declared by virus saying there was no safe havens.

He said: “It is a new thing that calls for response and the governor’s response has been proper. The closure of the borders was a step in the right direction. ”

He announced the donation of PCR Test Machine and three thousand test kits and reagents to the government by Pamo Clinics and Hospitals to enhance the fight against coronavirus.

Rivers Health Commissioner, Prof. Chike Princewill, said that with the PCR machine and the necessary reagents, the state government could complete coronavirus tests in Rivers

END.

By Adekunle Yusuf

As the world marks this year’s Malaria Day, the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has called for increased investment and research funding to contain public health challenges such as malaria, emerging and re-emerging diseases like COVID-19 and Ebola.

The PSN president, Sam Ohuabunwa, made the call to commemorate the World Malaria Day, a day set aside every April 25 to draw attention to the burden of malaria globally. He said that innovative strategies to end extreme poverty would also impact positively on efforts to contain public health challenges. As COVID-19 pandemic challenges the entire world, the importance of strong health systems to fight deadly infectious diseases like malaria has become more obvious, the industrialist said.

Although PSN noted that Nigeria was far from becoming malaria-free, it concluded that remarkable progress was being recorded. Ohuabunwa, however, said the country needed to rethink her budget and investment in infrastructure, especially in the health sector, for stronger and robust healthcare systems which can withstand pressure in the face of a pandemic. “Pharmacists, the most accessible healthcare professionals, are up-scaling their act in the prevention and treatment of malaria, since malaria infection is a risk factor and will increase the case fatality of COVID-19 and about 97 per cent of the population is at risk of malaria infection. Plasmodium falciparum is the most prevalent malaria parasite in Nigeria accounting for 99.7 per cent of estimated malaria cases. Children under the age of five  years, pregnant women and immune-compromised persons are most vulnerable. Children aged under five years accounted for 67 per cent (272 000) of all malaria deaths in 2018, worldwide,” he said.

Read Also: Fight against spread of COVID-19 can reverse effort on malaria- Expert

According to Ohuabunwa, continuous improvement against malaria can only be achieved with increased investment, and World Malaria Day presents an opportunity to remind world leaders of their commitments to end this preventable and treatable disease. “There is need for increased funding to cover all those at risk of malaria infection and improve on research and development. Innovative strategies to end extreme poverty will impact positively on efforts to contain public health challenges like malaria, emerging and reemerging ones like COVID -19 and Ebola.”

Globally, malaria elimination net is widening, with more countries moving towards the goal of zero malaria. In 2018, 27 countries reported fewer than 100 indigenous cases of the disease, up from 17 countries in 2010. Over the last decade, 10 countries have been certified by the WHO as malaria-free, with Algeria and Argentina making the 2019 list. These two countries, over the last decade, strengthened malaria surveillance systems that every case of malaria was rapidly identified and treated. With free malaria diagnosis and treatment in both countries, everyone received the services needed to prevent, diagnose and treat the disease.

Ohuabunwa believes Nigeria needs to rethink her budget and investment in infrastructure, especially the health sector for stronger and robust healthcare systems which can withstand pressure in the face of a pandemic. “As in previous years, the United States of America (USA) was the largest international source of malaria financing, providing US$ 1.0 billion (37%) in 2018.  Highest individual donors like Bill and Melinda Gates are also Americans. The present COVID-19 pandemic is a drama rehearsal of the worst to come. Most world leaders today are more national than global oriented. Several countries shot their doors to export of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) within the pandemic.

“We need to get to work now. ‘’We cannot continue to depend on handouts. Malaria is a disease of under development and poverty, that is why it has taken forever to develop Vaccines against malaria, which may not be the priority of the West. RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) is the first and, to date, the only vaccine  that shows it can significantly reduce malaria, and life-threatening severe malaria, in young African children. The clinical trial is yet to come to Nigeria.”

While commending the proactive initiative of the Central Bank of Nigeria for the 100 billion pharmaceutical industry intervention funds and hoping for a timely disbursement devoid of unnecessary bureaucracies, PSN said there are still a lot of gaps in funding research and development. Also, the umbrella body for all pharmacists in the country believes that the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) and the schools of pharmacy in Nigeria have all it takes to make the country a hub for active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), lamenting that such institutions are grossly underfunded to perform. Unless Nigeria takes charge of malaria interventions, elimination and eradication of the disease may not be near, Ohuabunwa warned.

“Deliberate attention should be paid to the community pharmacists who provide over 60 per cent of the malaria interventions in our country. Government should structure single digit, less encumbered loans to assist the business aspect of the practice to improve availability and access to medicines. It is a core responsibility of government to ensure affordable pharmaceutical care for its citizens. Drugs are lifesaving special commodities and should not be allowed to compete with luxury items for high interest loans.

“Malaria rapid test kits should be dropped at community pharmacies for free testing of patients prior to commencement of chemotherapy. The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, through her technical groups, has continued to invest in the capacity development of pharmacists for delivery of world class pharmaceutical care to consumers of healthcare in Nigeria. Pharmacists are ever ready to offer their expertise for greater health of Nigerians,” Ohuabunwa said.