Covid 19: Tobinco produces hydroxychloroquine locally
Entrance Pharmaceuticals and Research Centre, the manufacturing subsidiary of Tobinco Group of companies has locally produced hydroxychloroquine, a drug for managing coronavirus cases.
This is in fulfillment of a promise made by the Chairman of the Group, Nana Amo Tobbin I to produce the drug locally to help manage covid-19 cases in Ghana.
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The Group has therefore presented 1,000 courses of Hydroxychloroquine worth over GH¢ 100,000 and 18,000 bottles of Foligrow to the Ministry of Health to support the government in the fight against COVID-19 in Ghana.
Hydroxychloroquine has been endorsed by WHO for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
Mr Kwadwo Asare Twerefour, MD for Entrance Pharmaceuticals and Research Centre, presenting the drugs to Dr Okoe Boye, Deputy Health Minister
Receiving the donation, the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Bernard Okoe Boye commended Nana Amo Tobbin I and the Entrance Pharmaceuticals and Research Centre for the gesture.
He noted that for the government to succeed in the fight against COVID-19, it would need the partnership of the private sectors, such as the Tobinco Group, expressing the hope that the partnership would last.
It would be recalled that the EXIMBANK Ghana, about a month ago, made a commitment to advance a credit facility to Entrance Pharmaceuticals and Research Centre to produce hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin locally for the management of COVID-19 cases.
Dr Okoe Boye, gave an assurance that the Ministry would ensure that the process of securing funding from EXIMBANK to commence the production of the drugs on a large scale was expedited.
In an interview with journalists after the presentation, Nana Amo Tobbin 1 reiterated that before the partnership, the company had decided to produce hydroxychloroquine and other drugs to support the government in the fight against covid-19.
He also made it known that due to the scarcity of the drug, some African countries had already contacted the company to produce the drug for them.
However, he stated that the company was looking up to the funding as promised by the government to enable the company produce more for local consumption, before it could supply the other countries with the drug.
Nana Amo Tobbin 1 cautioned that the hydroxychloroquine should only be taken under a doctor's prescription and not for counter sales.
Mr Kwadwo Asare Twerefour, MD for Entrance Pharmaceuticals and Research Centre, thanked the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) for ensuring the drugs went through all the needed processes in due time.
He said the company is still researching and would produce the rest of the drugs that were needed to fight the disease.
He expressed the hope that the money promised by EXIM Bank would materialise in due time so that the company could produce more of the drugs to supply the local and the international markets.