Pursuing Innovation with Natural Medicine

When I turned 17, I went out with friends on a picnic. There was no food available, but there were all kinds of drinks. I was hungry. Rather than look for food to eat, I settled for the available gin. I must have taken a lot of it. I was very drunk after taking it. It was the last time I would take alcohol. I was able to get home.

However, a few days after I started having funny feelings in my stomach and having heart burns. I explained to my mum and she advised me to visit the hospital to see a medical doctor. I did and the diagnosis was that I had a duodenal ulcer, the outcome of my drinking. The gin I took lacerated and damaged the lining of my stomach.

The medical doctor prescribed certain drugs for me to take. I took it religiously and stayed away from certain types of food and sodas. I was not sure if the drugs prescribed were to cure the ulcer or keep me dependent on it, but I kept to the prescription hoping that I would be cured.

My mum decided to introduce me to a natural cure. She squeezed our juice from the bitter leaf for me to drink and also take as soup. This worked faster. This made me believe there are natural remedies to every ailment. In Nigeria, we may have abandoned natural medical remedies for synthetic drugs.

According to the latest World Health Organization (WHO) data published in 2020, Peptic Ulcer Disease (PUD) Deaths in Nigeria reached 5,846 or 0.39% of total deaths. A study from a metropolitan South-South Nigeria population recorded an overall yearly diagnostic rate of 6.7%. This data proves one fact: that there is a market for ulcer drugs and treatment.

Nigerians are innovative. The challenge is that most of these innovations are hidden from the world. The innovators don’t have a platform from which they can reach the world with what they are doing. We started The Bridge to serve as a platform, a megaphone, for those innovations. We aim to turn some of these innovations into products and services that will launch new industries in Nigeria.

Developing Natural Remedies for Ulcer

When we heard about Adeolu Adeyemi's work, we decided he was one of the natural candidates for the Bridge.? He is an industrial Chemist with an interest in natural products. He has been working on a drug candidate for therapeutic and prophylaxis for Ulceration.

He studied industrial chemistry at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Nigeria. Amidst the academic rigors, he encountered an unexpected adversary - an ulcer. Despite numerous over-the-counter remedies proving ineffective, a transformative course he took titled "Natural Products" kindled his interest in the geochemistry and eclectics of our indigenous herbs.

?Like me, he also struggled with ulcers. This led him to meet a man whose folkloric formulations miraculously cured his ailment. This encounter triggered a profound interest in exploring the therapeutic potential of traditional herbs, intertwining personal healing with academic curiosity. He wasn’t just developing a product for others, but for people like himself who have gone through the struggle with ulcers.

Unlike many people who develop drugs, he is starting with the patient experience and not the drugs itself. He understands what ulcer patients go through as such will be able to design solutions along the pain points. Most drug developments are focused only on the effectiveness of the drugs, however his concept of remembering looks at the entire experience of ulcer patients.

Adeolu said, “The trajectory of my story shifted when I pursued my Students' Industrial Attachment at a prestigious pharmaceutical company in Lagos. Eager to bridge the gap between traditional remedies and modern medicine, I presented my formulations, envisioning a collaboration that could redefine pharmaceutical innovation. However, the initial response was a discouraging "NO." Undeterred, I viewed this setback as a challenge, not a defeat, fostering a determination to prove the efficacy of our indigenous herbs in the scientific realm.

Years later and still undaunted by the rejection, I redirected my efforts towards the Ogun State Ministry of Health, hoping to collaborate with the Board for Alternative Medicine. Yet again, the response was disheartening. The doors to institutional partnerships seemed closed, and the dream of harmonizing tradition with modernity appeared elusive.”

Analysis of the Drugs for Innovation

IDEO developed a concept on how to spot innovation. The innovation sweet spot sits at the center of three major conditions:

1.?????? Customers want the product

2.????? Product can be delivered

3.????? Product will provide sustainable value to the company producing it

Is it desirable? From the data we have seen so far, people want a drug that will cure them of ulcers. And this product from its use by the patient and others does that.

Is it feasible? Adeolu has already developed it and used it. The answer to that is yes.

Is it Viable? The market is large enough to sustain the business.

When redesigned and repackaged, the product can be a hot cake in the market. You can talk with Adeolu to see if you can bring it from clinical trials to the shelves of major pharmaceutical retail outlets.

The Journey

The journey from concept to development and marketing has never been easy more so for people in Nigeria where most companies are too proud and egocentric to accept innovations from outside. Despite all the rejections, Adeolu never gave up. He is continually looking for a better way and partner to get the natural remedy for ulcers to the shelf. He wants to help ulcer patients just as he was helped.

While talking about all that he has gone through, he said “Let it be known that the rejection faced in the past was not a barrier but a redirection. It steered me towards a path where tradition and progress coalesce, fostering a healing revolution rooted in the wisdom of our forebears. The journey is far from over, but with The Bridge as my ally, the possibilities are as vast as the cultural tapestry from which my inspiration blooms.

In essence, my story is a testament to the resilience of combining personal experience with academic pursuits and the transformative power of partnerships that bridge the gap between tradition and modernity. From the healing encounter with folkloric remedies to the rejection and subsequent acceptance in academia and entrepreneurship, each milestone shaped my journey towards a future where indigenous knowledge and cutting-edge innovation harmoniously coexist.”

We at The Bridge wish Adeolu Adeyemi and his partners the best of luck. We want to see this drug in the market. It's an innovation in medical science.

Do you know of anyone doing innovative work in Nigeria? We want to be their megaphone.

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