HYDERABAD: Had it not remained confined to scientific journals, an innovation by the researchers at IIT-Hyderabad reported two years ago could have proven a boon for the entire nation by now — when thousands are suffering from black fungus infection, coupled with a severe shortage of the drug ‘Amphotericin B’ required to treat it.
In 2019, researchers from IIT-H’s Creative and Advanced Research Based On Nanomaterials (CARBON) lab reported the technology to manufacture Amphotericin B in a sustained-release tablet form, using gelatin nanofibers. Over the last two years, none of the pharma companies in the country took forward the innovation by conducting clinical trials, getting necessary regulatory approvals, and manufacturing the tablets.
For decades, Amphotericin B has been a lifeline for thousands of patients across the world fighting Kala Azar or fungal infections, including the dreaded black fungus. Amphotericin B is presently manufactured in the form of an injection by a handful of pharma companies, and its usage in treatment for black fungus costs lakhs of rupees — a 50 mg vial costs close to Rs 4,000, and as many as 60-100 vials are required for one patient.Amphotericin B in tablet form would prove significantly cheaper than the injections — around `200 per tablet of 60 mg dose, said Dr Chandra Shekhar Sharma, Associate Professor in the Chemical Engineering department at IIT-Hyderabad.
He and Dr Saptarshi Majumdar of the same department are the researchers behind the innovation. Dr Sharma added that the innovation has not even been patented, so that it can remain accessible and used for public good. Manufacturing the drug in tablet form would also enable scaling up production more easily to meet the high demand.