As Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh urges Ghanaian researchers to move discoveries “beyond laboratory shelves” into commercially viable medicines and vaccines, one indigenous company has already been doing exactly that for nearly 30 years.

Dr De-Gaulle Moses Dogbatsey, CEO of the Medi-Moses Group of Companies, has built a proven track record of converting plant-medicine research into practical herbal products that reach patients across Ghana. His work offers a living example of the health-sovereignty agenda the Minister outlined this week at the Research Meets Manufacturing award ceremony under the PharmaVax Ghana programme.

Mr Akandoh told beneficiaries that the true measure of success “will not be the number of grants awarded but the number of research projects that progressed into commercially viable products.” He stressed that Ghana can no longer afford to wait “at the back of the queue” for essential medicines and vaccines, as happened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Local production, he said, is now a national health-security imperative that will also retain foreign exchange, create jobs and reduce vulnerability to external supply shocks.

Dr Dogbatsey’s journey mirrors that call. A medical doctor trained at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), he later obtained an MPhil in Pharmacognosy (Plant Medicine) from the same university and became the first Ghanaian medical doctor to specialise in the field. He headed the Clinical Research Department at the Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine at Mampong-Akuapem from 2004 to 2008 and trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine at Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

After leaving the Centre, he established the Medi-Moses Clinic and Prostate Centre, which has grown from humble beginnings into five branches across the country. The company specialises in the management of enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia), prostatitis and related conditions. Its flagship product, Prostacure Herbal Tea, together with Prostacure-X capsules, is credited with shrinking enlarged prostates without surgery and has earned international recognition.

In total, Dr Dogbatsey has formulated 57 herbal products targeting a wide range of conditions including infertility, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, diabetes, menstrual disorders, peptic ulcer, haemorrhoids, vaginal infections, skin diseases, typhoid, malaria and glaucoma. These products are the direct outcome of research translated into medicines available to ordinary Ghanaians.

Speaking in the spirit of the Minister’s message, industry observers note that Medi-Moses demonstrates what is possible when research is designed with manufacturability, scale-up, regulatory approval and patient affordability in mind.

The Health Minister announced a government framework contract for medicines estimated at GH¢159 million, with plans for expansion, to create a predictable market for quality local products. He also emphasised partnerships “with dignity and respect” that transfer technology and expertise while building Ghanaian capacity.

Dr Dogbatsey’s three-decade record shows that such capacity already exists in pockets of the private sector. As Ghana seeks to become a pharmaceutical hub for West Africa, the Medi-Moses story stands as practical proof that research can – and already does – travel the full distance from laboratory to pharmacy shelf, improving lives and strengthening national health security.

Endorsement

The Society of Private Medical and Dental Practitioners endorses the transition of research material into care for our clients. We are particularly enthused that research into plants grown in Ghana can inure to the benefit of the general Ghanaian populace. Strides made by Medi-Moses products in this area are therefore worthy of encouragement and support.
— Dr Andre Kwesi Kumah, President, Society of Private Medical and Dental Practitioners (AGM, Ho, Volta Region)

About Medi-Moses Group of Companies

Medi-Moses is a leading Ghanaian herbal medicine company specialising in research-based plant medicines, with a focus on prostate health and a broad portfolio of 57 formulated products.

Media Contact
Medi-Moses Group of Companies
Head Office: Adenta Barrier New Site – Off the Aburi Road
P.O. Box TF 324, LA – Accra
Tel: +233 24 406 8447 / +233 50 349 4885
Website: Medimoses.com.gh
Social: @Medi_moses (TikTok/Instagram) | Medi-Moses Prostate Centre (Facebook)
Branches
Accra Central | Tema | Kumasi