Prof. Ssali’s Mariandina pills okayed
Jun 06, 2005
MARIANDINA pills that were invented by the late Prof. Charles Ssali have been approved by the National Drug Authority (NDA) as nutritional food supplements.
By Charles Ariko
MARIANDINA pills that were invented by the late Prof. Charles Ssali have been approved by the National Drug Authority (NDA) as nutritional food supplements.
The pills were banned by the government in 1998 following claims by Ssali at the time that they could cure HIV/AIDS.
Apollo Muhairwe, the NDA executive secretary, yesterday said the pills were recently approved following an application Ssali submitted to NDA before he died last year.
He said after NDA rejected the importation of the pills as drugs, Ssali re-submitted another application for them to be imported as nutritional food supplements.
Muhairwe warned the manufacturers of the pills to adhere to promoting the pills as food supplements and not a drug for curing HIV/AIDS.
“The moment we learn that there are therapeutic (medicinal) claims attached on the pills, we shall not hesitate to withdraw the approval,†he said.
The pills are manufactured by Pharmadass in the UK under the product name of Mariandina Natural Health Products.
They are reportedly on sale in some African countries including Cameroon.
MARIANDINA pills that were invented by the late Prof. Charles Ssali have been approved by the National Drug Authority (NDA) as nutritional food supplements.
The pills were banned by the government in 1998 following claims by Ssali at the time that they could cure HIV/AIDS.
Apollo Muhairwe, the NDA executive secretary, yesterday said the pills were recently approved following an application Ssali submitted to NDA before he died last year.
He said after NDA rejected the importation of the pills as drugs, Ssali re-submitted another application for them to be imported as nutritional food supplements.
Muhairwe warned the manufacturers of the pills to adhere to promoting the pills as food supplements and not a drug for curing HIV/AIDS.
“The moment we learn that there are therapeutic (medicinal) claims attached on the pills, we shall not hesitate to withdraw the approval,†he said.
The pills are manufactured by Pharmadass in the UK under the product name of Mariandina Natural Health Products.
They are reportedly on sale in some African countries including Cameroon.