#US agency approves new drug for treatment of sickle cell disease

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), an agency of the US
department of health and human services, has approved
Crizanlizumab-tmca, a new drug to treat extremely painful sickle
cell disease flare-ups.

The new drug, which comes as the first-ever of its kind targeted
therapy for the disease, was approved on Friday as FDA gave
Novartis, a multinational pharmaceutical company, the go-ahead to
market Adakveo, a brand of it, in the country.

Adakveo is targeted at reducing the frequency of vaso-occlusive
crisis — a common and painful complication of the disease that
occurs when blood circulation is obstructed by sickled red blood
cells — for patients of age 16 years and older.

According to FDA, the approval came after a randomized clinical
trial enrolling 198 sickle cell disease patients with a history of
vaso-occlusive crisis, where those who received Adakveo as against
a placebo reported fewer healthcare visits.

Speaking at the event of the approval, Brett Giroir, acting
commissioner at FDA, said the opportunity before medical experts
working towards a cure for people living with the SCD “in the
coming months and years is profound and historic.”

“Hope has never been higher for people living with sickle cell
disease and their families and supporters, with a pipeline of new
treatments on the horizon, like the one being approved today, and
several initiatives underway to better utilize current tools in the
battle against the painful and deadly blood disorder,” he said.

In SCD, the red blood cells are abnormally shaped and this
restricts the flow in blood vessels, limits oxygen delivery to the
body’s tissues, and leads to severe pain and organ damage.

According to Richard Pazdur, director of the FDA’s Oncology
Center of Excellence, Adakveo will clamp down on frequent
hospitalization of patients.

“Adakveo is the first targeted therapy approved for sickle cell
disease, specifically inhibiting selectin, a substance that
contributes to cells sticking together and leads to vaso-occlusive
crisis. It can be extremely painful and is a frequent reason for
emergency department visits and hospitalization for patients with
sickle cell disease,” said Pazdur, who doubles as acting director
of the Office of Oncologic Diseases in the FDA’s Center for Drug
Evaluation and Research.

On the cost of the drug, Novartis said it will be priced between
$84,852 and $113,136 per year for most patients who will be infused
by a healthcare provider with three and four vials monthly —
projecting that annual sales of it will top $1 billion.

Approximately 100,000 Americans are currently suffering from
sickle cell disease, according to the Center for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC).

With over 300,000 babies born with the disease annually, about
250 million worldwide carry the gene. 75 percent of all patients
with SCD live in Sub-Saharan Africa — Nigeria alone accounting for
more than 100,000 new births annually.

NAF Commissions Accommodation for NCOs

The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar,
has charged personnel of the 407 Air Combat Training Group (407
ACTG) Kainji, Niger State to remain resolute in the performance of
their duties in ensuring the production of combat-ready pilots as
well as sustaining the serviceability of the Alpha Jet aircraft. He
gave this charge today, 18 November 2019, while commissioning 3
newly renovated buildings for Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) at
NAF Base Kainji. Speaking further the CAS, who was represented by
the Air Officer Commanding Air Training Command (ATC), Air Vice
Marshal Muhammed Suleiman, said the commissioning was in
furtherance of his commitment to upgrading facilities and living
conditions of personnel of the Unit, which is the home-base of the
NAF Alpha Jets currently deployed to various theaters of operations
in the Country.

The CAS stated that the commissioning would go a long way in
enhancing the professional performance of the Unit’s workforce as
they labour tirelessly to ensure the security of a united Nigeria.
He noted that the objective of emplacing conducive residential
accommodation for personnel was to ensure that they have proper
rest after a hard day’s work in order to enable them discharge
their air and ground functions more efficiently. He therefore
enjoined the beneficiaries of the new accommodation to continue to
do their best in their assigned tasks without being deterred. “Much
as we have sacrificed, let us be propelled by the support and
goodwill of Nigerians to do even more for our Nation. Our loyalty
and service to the Nation must always be our motivation. As we
commission this project, I urge you all, especially the occupants
of these accommodations, to utilize the facilities with high sense
of care and maintenance”, he added.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Commander 407 ACTG, Squadron
Leader Kingsley Igwegbe, commended the relentless commitment of the
NAF leadership towards ensuring that the Unit’s facility
deficiencies receive speedy and adequate attention. He also used
the opportunity to appreciate the personnel of 407 ACTG for their
hard work and dedication to service. While applauding the hard work
and dedication of the Unit’s personnel, he pledged their resolve to
re-double their efforts while striving for excellence in all
areas.

It may be recalled that, only recently, a newly constructed
Block of 18 Two-Bedroom Senior Non-Commissioned Officers’ (SNCOs’)
Quarters as well as some newly renovated facilities, such as the
Base Mosque, Catholic Church, Technicians’ Crew Room and Messes,
were commissioned at 407 ACTG.

IBIKUNLE DARAMOLA
Air Commodore
Director of Public Relations and Information
Nigerian Air Force