Emzor Signs Deal with Mangalam to Produce Pharmaceutical Ingredients

Emzor has signed an agreement with Indian company Mangalam Drugs & Organics Limited to produce in Nigeria and distribute active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to treat and prevent malaria.

The arrangement includes an API technology transfer and licensing agreement, which establishes a co-development basis for manufacturing four APIs for the treatment of malaria, which continues to be a leading cause of death on the African continent.

According to a statement by the firm, this will lead to the development of a world-class API manufacturing facility in full compliance with international standards and the first of its kind in the sub-Saharan African region.

“The agreement reaffirms Emzor’s longstanding commitment to strengthening the pharma sector in Africa. The signed technology transfer and licensing agreement with Mangalam, a leading Indian chemical manufacturing company, will provide in-house developed technology for manufacturing antimalarial Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), “the statement reads.

It explained that Mangalam would provide consultation and relevant designs for setting up a world-class API manufacturing facility compliant with WHO standards as part of the agreement.
It added that the initial focus would be on the development of 4 APIs: artemether, lumefantrine, sulfadoxine, and pyrimethamine.

The selected APIs provide chemo-preventive combination therapies for malaria in pregnant women and treatment for adults and children.

According to the 2020 World Malaria Report, Nigeria had the highest number of global malaria cases (27 per cent of global malaria cases) in 2019 and accounted for the highest number of deaths (23 per cent of global malaria deaths).

Additionally, this agreement with Mangalam is an apt response to the complete dependency on external firms for APIs to sustain the regional pharmaceutical industry.

“Emzor is a pioneer in the Nigerian malaria space and was the first Nigerian indigenous pharmaceutical company to develop and manufacture artemether/lumefantrine, under the brand name Lokmal, launched in 2009. Maldox is Emzor’s brand name for its sulfadoxine and pyrimethamine combination antimalarial, “it stated.