Madhya Pradesh government issues license to manufacture anti-fungal drug for black fungus

The Madhya Pradesh government has issued licence to Revacure LifeSciences to manufacture Amphotericin-B, a key anti-fungal drug used in the treatment of black fungus or mucormycosis. The Jabalpur-based company will manufacture the Amphotericin-B injection which will benefit the Mahakaushal, Vindhya and Bundelkhand regions of the state.

It will be easily available to the patients suffering from black fungus disease at a relatively low cost. The disease has a close link to diabetes, and conditions that compromise the immune system. Experts say that an overuse during the COVID-19 pandemic of certain drugs which suppress the immune system could be causing the surge. States across India have recorded more than 7,000 cases of this “rare disease” in recent weeks, mainly in people infected with COVID-19 or recovering from it.

The government said this is the second company in the state to be given the licence for Amphotericin-B production. Earlier, Indore-based Modern Laboratories had received the licence. Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, clarified that there is no scarcity of Amphotericin-B injections in the state. A consignment of 12,240 injections arrived at Indore on Friday and around 17,000 more injections will be available after two days.

Chouhan said at present, there are 1,005 active cases of black fungus in the state. “There are 235 such patients in Bhopal; 428 in Indore; 116 in Jabalpur; 40 in Sagar; 85 in Ujjain; 52 in Gwalior; 31 in Rewa; 15 in Dewas; and two in Ratlam; and one in Burhanpur.”

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The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), this week, informed the Delhi High Court that Amphotericin is not the only medication available for the treatment of mucormycosis. It said that the national taskforce has looked into treatment options for the same. “Amphotericin-B is available in several formulations. Liposomal Amphotericin-B is to be preferred in patients who have mucormycosis of the brain. Another formulation of Amphotericin-B deoxycholate is also available, which has a higher toxic effect on the kidneys. It can be used with other techniques to reduce kidney toxicity.