A US-based Nigerian scientist, Dr Patrick Chukwuemeka Okoye, has achieved a revolutionary development in pharmaceutical research, becoming the first to secure a United States patent for the use of cassava starch in medicine. The patent, number 12,133,918 B2, titled “Partially Pre-gelatinised Cassava Starch as Pharmaceutical Excipient,” highlights the scholar’s decades-long dedication to innovation in the field of pharmaceutics.
Dr Okoye’s accomplishment, which was recognised recently, marks an innovation in the application of cassava starch for pharmaceutical use. His patented work introduces a modified form of cassava starch tailored for use as an excipient in drug formulation.
In producing medications, excipients are inactive yet essential ingredients that fulfil a range of functions. According to US National Institute of Health, excipient materials can increase the size or volume of a dose, aid in the disintegration of tablets, bind ingredients together, mask unpleasant tastes, and even control the rate at which a drug is released into the body. ”Selecting the appropriate excipients is a critical step in developing effective and quality medications. This selection process hinges not only on the desired function of the excipient but also on its compatibility with the active drug itself, ensuring the final product is both safe and effective.”
With this breakthrough, cassava starch now joins the ranks of excipients that meet global pharmaceutical standards, offering a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to existing options.
Okoye’s innovation paves the way for enhancing drug formulation processes while promoting the use of cassava, a crop that is domestically and economically cultivated in regions such as Africa, Asia, and South America.
The achievement of this feat is expected to stimulate further interest in cassava’s industrial applications, opening doors to new possibilities in pharmaceutical manufacturing and contributing to the development of more affordable medicines.
