Nigeria's leading pharmaceutical manufacturer, May and Baker Nigeria Plc. has introduced a new anti-malarial medicine that promises to revolutionise malaria disease treatment in the country.

The new drug, Malact is a Dihydroarteminsin-Piperaquine combination-based formulation which

ensures fast relief from malaria and guarantees better post treatment protection.

According to a press statement made available to THISDAY at a media launch of the new anti-malaria product in Lagos, Managing Director of May and Baker, Mr. Nnamdi Okafor, said the introduction of Malact is part of the company's efforts

at continually confronting the malarial scourge by providing effective and affordable

medicines for treatment of the disease.

He stated further that Malact is the latest and

most effective arsenal in the toolbox for fight against malaria. He said the goal of May &

Baker is to continue to be the one-stop-shop for quality antimalarials.

Executive Director, Pharma Sales and Marketing , May and Baker, Mr. Chukutem Chukuka in his remark said "Malact has a reliable efficacy which guarantees patient faster relief compared to other ACTs currently available in the market.

"It also has better post treatment protection because of the Piperaquine content that makes it possible for patients not to experience relapse for at least six weeks.

"Malact therefore prevents malaria for up to six weeks and prevents recrudescence of malaria.

"May and Baker Nigeria Plc. remains a key player in the anti-malarial market in Nigeria. It was the first company to introduce an antimalarial drug to Nigerians with its Nivaquine brand of chloroquine sulphate decades ago.

"When the WHO discountenanced chloroquine as first line drug for the treatment of malaria, and recommended the ACTs, the company was one of the first pharmaceutical manufacturers in Nigeria to locally produce ACTs with the introduction of its artemisinin combination therapy (ACT)

antimalarial drug 'Artelum' which is a brand of Artemether/Lumefantrine in April 2009."

Malact, the new product from May & Baker, therefore prevents malaria for up to six weeks and prevents recrudescence of malaria.

Other advantages of Malact include convenient dosing because it is taken once a day and this reduces the chances of dosage non-compliance. It does not require to be taken with fatty meals by the patient before it can be absorbed.

Copyright This Day. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com)., source News Service English