Ronald Kalyango
22 May 2008
Kampala — KAMPALA Pharmaceutical Industries (KPI) has embarked on a countrywide promotion of formin, a diabetes drug, it started manufacturing in March.
Formin, formerly imported, regulates the level of sugar in the blood "The drug is believed to be the only effective treatment to a disease affecting more than a million people," said Prof. Marcel Andrew Otim, the chairperson of the Uganda Diabetes Association. He was last week speaking at the drug's official launch in western Uganda at Lake View Hotel in Mbarara.
Otim advised people to balance proper medication with physical activity and a healthy diet for prolonged good health. "Treating diabetes is very expensive.
The drug costs are very high," said Otim. "Due to urbanisation, most children spend a lot of time on computers and do less exercise.
"People eat sweets and processed foods and drink a lot of sodas, not knowing that these are lead causes of the disease." KPI's business manager, Anthony Kuria, said the drug would be sold at a wholesale price of sh3,500 per 100 tablets.
The wholesalers will then set a price for the retailers, he added.
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