The US pharmaceutical industry, LEAF Pharmaceuticals LLC, has announced plan to open a branch in Kigali that will focus on research and production of cancer drugs called LEAF-1404, APA learnt on Friday from an official source in Kigali.
According to the source, the LEAF Pharmaceuticals has signed earlier this week a partnership agreement with another American company CMO/Contract Manufacturing Organization, which specialized in setting up an industrial facility in a suburb of Kigali city.
It is expected that the new pharmaceutical plant will focus on the production of Caelyx/ Doxil, which are common for the treatment of prostate cancer, breast cancer and
Sarcoma of Caposi in many Western countries of Europe and North America,
Commenting on the new move, Dr. Clet Niyikiza, Leader and Founder of LEAF Pharmaceuticals, whose products are fully compliant with the recommended standards, explained that LEAF-1404 drug to be produced by the new pharmaceutical plant that will be cheaper and affordable.
“These drugs were formerly not affordable to cancer patients in Africa,” he said.
There is currently no generic version of ‘Caelyx/Doxil’ approved in Europe or Africa.
However, global cancer statistics indicate that 90 percent of Kaposi Sarcoma cases in the world occur in Africa.
Reacting to the initiative, Dr. Niyikiza explained that LEAF-1404 will address a key gap in the treatment of patients with Kaposi Sarcoma in Africa, who have had very limited or no access to this medicine for more than 20 years now.
The manufacturing of LEAF-1404 will take them a step closer to bringing an innovative, safe and affordable anti-cancer drug to patients with breast cancer, ovarian cancer and Kaposi Sarcoma, it said.
CU/GIK/APA