Hundreds of boxes of lifesaving medicines have been shipped to West Africa to help victims of the Ebola virus, thanks to a pharmaceutical company in Loughborough.
The medicines include injectable antibiotics, pain relief and medications to relieve fever – all related to the effects of the infection, which has claimed the lives of more than 5,000 people, mainly in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.
Hundreds of boxes of lifesaving medicines have been shipped to West Africa to help victims of the Ebola virus, thanks to a pharmaceutical company in Loughborough.
The medicines include injectable antibiotics, pain relief and medications to relieve fever – all related to the effects of the infection, which has claimed the lives of more than 5,000 people, mainly in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.
Morningside Pharmaceuticals, of Loughborough, has also shipped 30 million pieces of Morningside Sensecure examination gloves to the region, including neighbouring Ivory Coast, for Unicef (the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund).
Dr Nik Kotecha, chief executive and founder of Morningside Pharmaceuticals, said: “It is difficult to break down quantities, but we ship anything between 10 and 30 shipments a week.
“The number of products can range from 30 to 500, depending on the request we receive.
“We can turn some orders round in 48 to 72 hours, depending on the size.
“We recently put together 85 pallets of medicines in two weeks to ship to a war zone.”
The medicines being shipped to West Africa are for symptoms associated with Ebola, as well as other diseases such as malaria.
Dr Kotecha said: “We have become the main UK supplier of medicines to United Nations agencies and non-governmental organisations. We deal with between 10 and 12 of the biggest aid agencies such as Unicef, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Save the Children.
“We have obtained a deep understanding of the various strategies these organisations deploy to battle epidemics.
“We are very proud to be a part of the operation of saving thousands of people’s lives around the globe.”
Some of the medicines are manufactured by Morningside Pharmaceuticals and others are sourced by the company and orders put together for export.
Dr Kotecha said: “They either go straight to the company where they are needed or, for example, to the Red Cross in Geneva, who then distribute them from there.
“The work is not always about the emergencies and we then have a lot more time.”
“It is very satisfying to be involved in this field.
“I have been very fortunate in that I have been out many of the countries involved and been able to see the work organisations such as the Red Cross, MSF and Unicef.
“The UK market is key but this overseas field is an area I do as a passion.”
Morningside Pharmaceuticals is also a key manufacturer and supplier of branded generic medicine to UK hospitals.
Dr Kotecha said: “We ensure our production methods and products meet the industry’s most stringent standards enforced by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).”
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