Lagos — Reprieve may have come the way of Nigerians who get unnecessarily worried over why they aged vastly, with the introduction of a new anti-aging drug, capable of rejuvenating some of the weak cells in the system which causes some people to look older than their ages.

Speaking at the launch of the new drug, MF111 anti-aging softgel capsules into the Nigerian market recently, the chairman/CEO, Stem Cell Transplantation Project for Africa, Dr Perry Iloegbunam said, the target is to minimize the frequency with which Nigerians travel abroad for treatment on any slightest malfunction of the body system.

Iloegbunam explained that, the new drug is capable of reversing some of the damaged cells in the body if applied at the right time, noting for example, such conditions as kidney damage and even the HIV/AIDS, which he said are good areas where the drug is capable of improving the health of patients who seek treatment on time.

He explained that, the new product was made from the cell of animals through scientific discoveries to rejuvenate the ailing organs of the human body, where certain organs of the system are showing signs of weakness, which he noted have been tested on several patients and found potent in European countries.

He further stated that, depending on the state of the health, when it has degenerated to the point at which the capsule cannot provide the remedy required, then such patient may need to under go organ transplantation.

He said, the new drug which has been in the European markets over 120 years, is just coming to Africa newly, due to the federal government's recognition of the efficacy and the need for Stem Cell Technology Development in the country, after the successful international seminar organized by Stem Cell Transplantation Project for Africa (SCTPA) in October 2007, in Abuja.

He explained that, his organization has in the past seven years, been involved in the development of stem cell technology in association with one of the best research institutes on the stem cell technology in the world, the Bio-cellular Research Organisation of the United States of America (BCRO).

According to him, the government has established a national committee on the research and development of stem cell technology in Nigeria, comprising three serving federal ministries, six chief medical directors of university teaching hospitals and Iloegbunam.He described the development as a plus to the Public/Private initiative of the government and called on other business men, to promote the nation's health sector by partnering with the government to provide health services for the citizenry, stressing that, a healthy nation is a wealthy nation.

Meanwhile, SCTPA is organizing an international seminar for ECOWAS ministers of health and medical department, slated to hold in November 2008, in Abuja, to show case the programmes designed by SCTPA towards improving the health sector of Africa continent.

According to Iloegbunam, plan is underway with the organization's partners towards establishing treatment centres in most African countries, for diseases that were hitherto regarded as untreatable and un-curable and appealed to African heads of government to avail themselves of the opportunity to promote health services of the people.