Nigeria’s Maurice Iwu, others record breakthrough in HIV/ AIDS treatment

By Chioma Obinna

As the world continued to battle
with efforts aimed at finding cure to
HIV/AIDS, the US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has
announced another breakthrough
in the treatment of the disease with
the discovery of an oral botanical
drug, Crofelemer.
The new drug is  the second
botanical, and an orally
administered drug to be approved
by FDA since 2006.
The latest breakthrough owes its
success to a pioneering research
carried out in the United States by
a team of scientists including
Nigeria’s Professor Maurice Iwu, an
acclaimed pharmacologist and
tropical medicine expert.
Prof. Maurice Iwu
The first botanical drug to be
approved in the United States was a
topical green tea extract, Veregen,
in 2006. Both botanical drugs meet
all US pharmaceutical requirements
and can be dispensed only by
prescription.
However, ‘’Crofelemer is the first
drug to be approved in the United
States to treat HIV -associated
diarrhea. It is derived from the
latex of the South American sangre
de drago tree (dragon’s blood,
Croton lechleri). A red, blood-
resembling latex leaks from the tree
when its bark is cut, and it is this
substance that contains the novel
polymolecular structure crofelemer,
originally developed and
standardized by Shaman
Pharmaceuticals. Fulyzag is the
second botanical drug approved by
the agency. The drug’s approval
marks an important event in the
decades-long history of
crofelemer.’’
The latest ‘’Healthnews,’’ in a report
entitled, ‘’Nigeria’s Maurice Iwu,
others record breakthrough in HIV/
AIDS treatment: Amazon tree-
derived medicine cleared for usage
in HIV patients with diarrhea,’’
stated, ‘’On New Year’s Eve of 2012,
the US Food and Drug
Administration  announced its
approval of crofelemer, marking the
second time a botanical, and the
first time an orally administered
botanical, has received drug
approval from the Administration.
The first botanical drug to be
approved in the United States was a
topical green tea extract, Veregen in
2006. Both botanical drugs meet all
US pharmaceutical requirements
and can be dispensed only by
prescription.
’’The latest breakthrough owes its
success to a pioneering research
carried out in the United States by
a team of scientists which included
Nigeria’s Professor Maurice Iwu, an
acclaimed pharmacologist and
tropical medicine expert.

CULLED: VANGUARD