Tag Archives: Kenya: Blood to Be Used As Medicine

Kenya and nanotechnology

I found this item about a nanomedicine development in Kenya via Thailand’s National Nanotechnology center (NANOTEC). Excerpted from the NANOTEC news item, Kenya: Blood to Be Used As Medicine,

Kenyan research institutes, in conjunction with the United States-based Strathmore University, recently started a nanotechnology drug development initiative in East and Central Africa, with an aim to reengineer current malaria and HIV drugs to make them more effective and revolutionary. Kenya has also joined a corroborative initiative with South Africa in the development of nanomedicine.

There is also an August 29,2011 article about this development written by Gatonye Gathura and Gitonga Marete for the allAfrica.com website,

Last month, Kenyan research institutions led by Strathmore University [private university in Kenya] started what could be the most interesting nano drug development initiative in East and Central Africa.

Led by Dr Barnards Ogutu, a researcher at Strathmore University, the effort in collaboration with Kenyan Medical Research Institute and the African Centre for Clinical Trials could see Kenya start reengineering current malaria and HIV drugs to make them more effective and revolutionary.

“We now know how to deliver drugs that are less toxic, more effective and which last in the body for a longer time meaning one may be required to take medication less regularly,” say Dr Ogutu.

Since it is required that a country which develops a drug must start human clinical trials on its own population, the group has identified a six bed unit at the Kenya Medical Research Institute for the purpose.

Unfortunately, there aren’t more details about how the scientists are reengineering the malaria and HIV drugs.