The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has confirmed its readiness to proceed on nationwide clinical trials of a malaria vaccine called R21.
The vaccine which they presumed has has 75% success rate and should be a boost to support NAFDAC’s efforts to completely eliminate malaria in Nigeria.
NAFDAC therefore urges pharmaceutical industry players to enhance their pharmacovigilance surveillance departments.
Even as these vaccines has been approved for use in Ghana after successful clinical trials involving 5,000 children, while it is said to have been manufactured by the Serum Institute of India.
The Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye of the agency also disclosed this in a statement by the Resident Media Consultant during the pharmacovigilance inspection interactive session with key industry players in Lagos.
According to him, the agency has mandated players in the pharmaceutical industry to increase the level of pharmacovigilance (PV) surveillance departments in their offices.
It is noted that the vaccine known as R21 has a 75% success rate which is effective and this trial forms part of the agency’s drive to exterminate malaria in the country the DG said.
She also emphasized the safety of medical products and the importance of stakeholders in ensuring the process of monitoring and pharmacovigilance.
She concluded by assuring that the six pharmacovigilance centers in the country would be strengthened to serve as convergence centers from community to state to center.