Background/Introduction:

Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin (a hormone that regulates blood sugar) and, or alternatively, when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. The resulting hyperglycaemia, or raised blood sugar over time leads to serious damage to many of the body's systems especially the nerves and blood vessels, giving rise to the risk of microvascular damage (retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy), macrovsacular complications (ischaemic heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease) and acute metabolic complications like hyperglycaemia, ketosis and coma. All these complications results in reduced life expectancy, diminished quality of life and significant morbidity and mortality.

Diabetes mellitus is a disease of significant public health importance due to the global rising estimates of prevalence as well as the adverse health and socioeconomic burden especially in developing and low income countries like Nigeria.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 180 million people worldwide have diabetes. This number is likely to more than double by 2030. In Nigeria 1.7million people were estimated to be diabetic in the year 2000 with a projection of over 4.8million diabetics by 2030. In 2005, an estimated 1.1 million people died from diabetes with almost 80% of diabetes deaths occurring in low and middle-income countries.

The current approach to Diabetes Management and the need for a cure (Control vs. Cure). The current measures for the management of diabetes involve the use of lifestyle modification, health promotion measures and drug treatment aimed at correcting hyperglycaemia and preventing complications. These measures only result in control as the basic pathophysiologic process which stimulates hyperglycaemia are not reversed permanently leading to a lifetime use of drug and non drug measures. This situation has prompted the need and calls for a cure which is a treatment modality that permanently reverses the patho physiologic mechanisms, thus creating a situation of normal glucose regulation after its administration and withdrawal. The benefits of a cure, which is expected to significantly reduce the socio-economic burden of the disease, has thus stimulated global research efforts to achieve this purpose. Announcing a Potential Diabetes cure from a Nigerian and Nigeria.

The world and Nigeria celebrated the news of the a major step in the quest for a cure for diabetes mellitus with the signing of an agreement between Dr Louis Nelson Obyo in collaboration with the Nigerian Pharmaceutical Research and Development institute and GDPAU, a New Jersey-based pharmaceutical company for the commercialization of a drug known as Antidiabetic Phytopharmaceutical on the 3rd of February 2009 at the Sheraton hotel, Abuja.

Dr. Obyo had earlier been granted a patent for his discovery from the United States Patent Office in May 2003 through a patent entitled “Medicament for the Treatment of Diabetes, with patent number (No. 6,531,461), for his medication, which can effectively treat Type I and Type II diabetes. Dr Nelson, 61, who holds a doctorate degree in Molecular and Computational Chemistry from the University of Ibadan, hails from Nsit Ubium Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. He served as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Science and Technology in 2001 and worked with the Raw Materials Research and Development Council.

Dr Nelson's discovery which is an extract of Vernonia amygdalina, has been subjected to two clinical trials, the last being at Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH). At the first clinical trial, the initial extract derived from Vernonia amygdalina was orally administered to 26 patients all of whom had been previously diagnosed as suffering from insulin deficiency. For control, a group of five were used, who maintained diet discipline throughout the trial. The initial extract was dosed to the patients three times daily in 100mg aliquots for six months. The blood glucose levels of all 31 subjects were closely monitored. It was revealed that the 26 patients receiving the initial extract no longer required maintaining diet discipline after the first month and examination showed remission of the disease after three months. Fifteen patients were said to have continued receiving medication for the remaining three months of the trial. All those who volunteered for the experiment appeared to have recovered from the disease and have returned to their normal life prior to the diagnosis of the disease.

The drug is believed to act by regenerating lost beta cells and even improves insulin sensitivity. The cell regenerating ability of this drug has led to worries about its risk as a carcinogen or teratogen, however the rules of selectivity which must be met for any new molecular entity to be submitted for clinical trials and the safety and tolerability demonstrated in the research and trials put these doubts to rest. The compounds of the present invention may be administered by any convenient parenteral route. Preferably, the compounds of the present invention will be administered orally. The dose may be varied depending upon the patient, but is expected to generally be 100 mg, three times daily.

It is anticipated that the optimism of a potential cure for diabetes will be validated and sustained with the larger scale utilization of this drug.

The source of Dr Obyo's invention.

The source of Dr Obyos discovery is Vernonia amygdalina, a shrub or small tree of 2-5m with green petiolate leaf of about 6 mm diameter and elliptic shape, believed to have about 200 species.

Vernonia amygdalina which originates and is widely cultivated in Nigeria, is commonly called bitter leaf as a result of its bitter taste and is widely used by many tribes in Nigeria. It is called “ewuro” in Yoruba, “atidot” in Efik/Ibibio, “oriwo” in Edo; “chusar doki” and “fatefate/mayemaye” in Hausa, “onugbu” in Igbo; “ityuna” in Tiv and “pilama” in Kalabari.

It is a plant that has also been studied extensively in Nigeria for a range of ethno-pharmacologic properties such as its hypoglycaemic effects, anti-oxidant effect, anti-cancer effect, and antibacterial effects.

What lessons from this discovery for Nigeria?

Dr Obyo's discovery has brought to the fore the need for a coordinated National approach to support and promote Ethnopharmacy, which is defined as an interdisciplinary science that investigates the perception and use of pharmaceuticals especially but not limited to traditional medicines within a given human society.

Ethnopharmacy involves the following studies: ethnopharmaceutics (traditional preparation of the pharmaceutical forms); ethnopharmacology (bio-evaluation of the pharmacological action of such preparations) and clinical ethnopharmacy (their clinical effectiveness), amongst others. Thus the broad aim of ethnopharmacy is the evaluation of medicinal plants and the remedies prepared from them with the aim of developing safe medicines for the treatment of various ailments.

The global health benefits of ethnopharmacy has been the production of various drugs that are used today such as aspirin, ephedrine, ergometrine, tubocurarine, digoxin, reserpine , atropine and physostigmine (from calabar beans) all derived from the studies of various traditional remedies.

The development of this science in Nigeria will certainly result in more breakthroughs like that of Doctor Nelson Obyo, as it will stimulate further research of other plants with ethnopharmacologic importance and other potential antidiabetic plants which have been identified in Nigeria such as Bidens pilosa (Broom Stick/Cobblers Pegs), Carica papaya(Paw Paw), Citrus aurantiifolia (west indian Lime), Ocimum gratissimum (Wild basil), Momordica charantia(bitter melon) and Morinda lucida.

Finally Dr Obyo's achievement should be a wake up call for our country to realise that the success of any country is tied to the extent and degree of its research output, which is an important prerequisite for National development. Therefore this feat should be a stimulus and catalyst for a revolution in promoting and supporting research not just in healthcare but in all sectors. In order to attain a high level of research output which is desired in Nigeria, it is imperative for all tiers of government in Nigeria and the tertiary institutions and research centres to develop policies and system that promote and fund research activities effectively. If this is achieved there will be more celebrations of research breakthroughs like Doctor Nelson's from Nigerians and Nigeria; for certainly there are more like Dr Nelson Obyo, in our population of over 140million.