SAN FRANCISCO, February
02, (THEWILL) – After years of carrying out scientific research, the Michael
Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, in Abia state says one of its
researchers has discovered a new drug for the treatment and cure of HIV/AIDS.
The Vice-Chancellor,
VC, of the institution, Prof. Francis Otunta, told reporters at the university
campus on Wednesday said that the breakthrough was made by a researcher in the
university, Prof. Maduike Ezeibe.
He explained that
Ezeibe had presented the drug to the University management, Senate and Council,
where he explained the processes he went through to arrive at his finding.
The VC also stated that
the researcher had equally presented the drug to his colleagues in the medical
field and nobody had contradicted his finding.
“Prof. Ezeibe is a
researcher in Veterinary Medicine and one may wonder how he discovered a drug
to cure a human ailment,” he pointed out, but commended Ezeibe for the
breakthrough and for bringing “honour to the University”.
Otunta said that the
university was in the process of mass producing the drug for further clinical
trials on persons living with HIV/AIDS in the country.
Ezeibe, who is a
professor of Veterinary Medicine and Clinical Virology, disclosed that the drug
was produced with Aluminum Silicate and Magnesium Silicate (Synthetic
Aluminum-Magnesium Silicate).
He stated that the two
minerals “are already in use as medicines for the treatment of various animal
and human diseases”.
The researcher said 10
persons living with the disease, “who volunteered’’, were made to apply through
their doctor to the VC, disclosing that “they were treated daily with the
Medicinal Synthetic Aluminum-Magnesium Silicate (50 mg/kg).”
He said that the
volunteers were subjected to monthly tests for viral loads and CD4-lymphocyte
counts.
“With the antiviral
effects of the medicine, its ability to reach all cells (as nanoparticles) and
the lymphocytes, there is no more hiding place (sanctuary) for HIV,” he stated.
Ezeibe contined that
the medicine had been used to “potentiate Ampicilin, Chloroquine, Piperazine
and Sulphadimidin, among others, and could be a major foreign exchange earner
for Nigeria, if approved by relevant authorities.”
“Local and
international pharmaceutical companies would find the product as a veritable
raw material,” he said.
Ezeibe said that he
presented the research findings to the World Virology Conference in Atlanta in
2015, and Antonio (Texas) in 2016. He also said that the results of the
laboratory tests had been published in many international scientific journals,
including the British Journal of Medicine and Medical Research, among several
others.
He said that he was
also about to sign a memorandum of understanding with a U.S.-based Scientific
Research Publishing, publishers of World Journal of AIDS, for the publication
of his book “How I came about the cure for HIV/AIDS”.
The researcher, who
disclosed that the medicine was patented in August 2014 in Nigeria, called on
the Federal Government to help him to secure international patency for the
drug.
“If commercialised, the
Medicinal Synthetic Aluminum-Magnesium Silicate would become an alternative for
petroleum to the Nigerian economy,” he stated.
Source: http://thewillnigeria.com
