- The new multi-million shilling plant once established, will employ hundreds of health experts directly and indirectly.
- They are already training doctors in the country.
Image: BY MATHEWS NDANYI
A US based pharmaceutical firm has unveiled plans to set up a plant for production of Collagen products to be used in hospitals for treatment of wounds in Kenya.
The firm, Human Biosciences Inc, has partnered with a Kenyan company Skintech Green Ltd, to roll out the use collagen products in local hospitals and set up the production firm either in Nairobi or Eldoret within the next two years.
They are already training doctors in the country. Dr Gerhard Goebel who is the International Business Development officer from Human Biosciences, was in Eldoret to meet with medics over roll out of the plan.
The new multi-million shilling plant once established, will employ hundreds of health experts directly and indirectly.
“We have been working with more than 5,000 hospitals all over the US and also in other parts of the world, and our intention is to roll out our products globally with Kenya being first to get a production plant in Africa,”Dr Goebel said.
Collagen is produced from hides. Director of Skintech Dr John Kibosia said the plant would buy hides from local farmers, thus supporting the livestock sector and helping to improve healthcare in the country.
Collagen, a protein that is abundant in the skin, bones, tissues, and tendons, where it provides strength and structure. It’s responsible for healthy joints and skin elasticity, or stretchiness.
The product produced by Human Biosciences is applied on wounds and fuses with collagen proteins in the body thus easily fusing to speed up healing of wounds.
“Every month, thousands of patients visit hospitals to seek treatment for wounds and our collagen product cuts the healing period by half and also reduces costs of treatment by half regardless of where it’s used,” Dr Goebel said.
He said the firm’s manufacturing facilities in the USA, India, and Taiwan are equipped with state-of-the-art proprietary machinery, which would also be available at the multi-million shilling plant to be set up in Kenya.
“We are planning to supplement this expansion into new markets by establishing new facilities around the world in a series of joint venture partnerships,” he said.
The American firm was founded by Dr Manoj K Jain who discovered how to preserve the collagen molecule from hides and manufacture products. The move has advanced wound care industry across the world.
Dr Goebel said collagen-based products were now breaking barriers in wound healing across the globe.
The products are used for management of burns, scrapes, blisters (ruptured), sores, ulcers, acute and chronic wounds, superficial, partial and full thickness wounds, infected and non-infected wounds, and minimal to heavily exudating wounds.
“We welcome establishment of the firm in Kenya being the first in Africa because it would benefit both the health sector and livestock farmers who produce hides,” Dr Kibosia said.