Africans In China

New Brunswick, NJ, - GDP Ayurvedic University (GDPAU), New Brunswick, NJ. Chairman and President, Professor (Dr.) Ramesh C. Pandey announced today that GDPAU has signed an exclusive worldwide license agreement for the commercialization, sales and marketing of an anti-diabetic herbal drug (currently named AD-1) with Professor Louis Nelson of Abuja, Nigeria. The history making signing ceremony was held on February 3^rd, 2009 at the Sheraton Hotel in Abuja in the presence of Nigerian and International distinguished guests and dignitaries including the Honorable Minister of State for Health, Dr. Aliyu Idi Hong; Director-General of the National Institute for Pharmaceuticals Research and Development (NIPRD), Dr. Uford Inyang; and the Senate President represented by the Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health Honorable Senator Gyang Dantong.

Honorable Minister Dr. Aliyu Hong said “The occasion is an epoch and historical day in the history of Nigeria. The drug would expand the landscape of medicine in the world and encourage more researchers into herbal drugs in the Country.” The Honorable Minister further said “There is hardly a house you go to in Nigeria, that one person will not be affected by this killer disease.” He pledged the support of the Federal Government, especially those who are into herbal medicine research.

Dr. Uford Inyang, the DG of NIPRD, commended Professor Pandey for taking this bold step of signing the agreement and expressed the inability of the Federal Government to explore the enormous benefits in the herbal market. He stressed the need to focus on the herbal drugs.

Professor Nelson said “We are excited and looking forward to working with Professor Pandey and GDPAU in the further development and commercialization of AD-1 for diabetes patients worldwide.” The discovery of the anti-diabetic drug was a result of extensive research and firm commitment of Professor Nelson in the natural plant products of Nigerian biodiversity. With the financial support from Akwa Ibom State further work was carried out at NIPRD and clinical trials at University of Jos by the Nigerian scientists.

The Chairman and President of GDPAU Prof. Pandey described the drug AD-1 as the second great drug that has come out of the continent, particularly from Nigeria. The first being the herbal drug NICOSAN^TM for the prophylactic management of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), which was licensed by Prof. Pandey from NIPRD in July 2002. Prof. Pandey further said, “I believe in African Natural Biodiversity and all Nigerians should be proud that they have given two herbal drugs to the world for the two important diseases.”

About Diabetes: Diabetes which afflicts over 180 million sufferers worldwide is a life threatening condition. Diabetes is a syndrome of disordered metabolism resulting in abnormally high sugar level (hyperglycemia). The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that by the year 2030 the number of people that suffer from Diabetes will exceed 366 million.

About Prof. Nelson: Prof. Nelson, 61 holds a Ph.D. in Molecular and Computational Chemistry from the University of Ibadan and hails from Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria. He served as the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Science and Technology in the year 2001 and worked with the Raw Materials Research and Development Council.

About GDPAU: GDP Ayurvedic University (GDPAU) is a “not-for-profit” tax exempt 501 (c) (3) organization established in the year 2001 at New Brunswick, New Jersey with the vision to bring credibility and recognition to the Traditional Systems of Health and Medicines through research, education, training therapy and mass promotion. The mission of GDPAU is to establish a state-of-the-art center of excellence in the field of Ayurveda, Yoga and Allied Alternative System of Medicines in the USA, India and other parts of the world. GDPAU envisions a center where people, experts and researchers from “Alternative Systems of Medicines and Modern Medical System” work together for the Health Care Delivery, Health Promotion, Integral Disease Management and Adjunctive/Alternative Management of diseases, which are cost effective, reliable, easy and credible with constant support of advanced medical sciences in the respective fields. GDPAU’s website is http://gdpau.org/.

For Further Information Contact:

LaMonte Forthun

GDP Ayurvedic University (GDPAU)

(732) 317-8124

(GDPAU)

Tags: Nigeria

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