Amphotericin B

The food and drugs administration (FDA), Nagpur, has called back 158 vials of Health Biotech Limited’s anti-fungal drug amphotericin b emulsion, used for treating mucormycosis, after several patients reportedly developed reactions. One patient suffered a cardiac problem, requiring him to be shifted to intensive care unit (ICU), said doctors.

Union minister for chemicals and fertilizers D V Sadananda Gowda on Wednesday said additional 5,240 vials of Liposomal amphotericin b, which is used in the treatment of black fungus, has been allocated to Karnataka.

A handful of distributors in Pune and Nashik have admitted that the stock of about 1,800 vials of amphotericin b has been lying idle with them for almost a week, when mucormycosis patients are grappling with severe shortage of the key drug.

Delhi government is now regulating the sale of amphotericin b, a drug used to treat black fungus, to prevent hoarding. But city hospitals are struggling to procure the suddenly in-demand drug. A doctor from a private hospital drew parallels between the recent oxygen crisis and the lack of Amphotericin. The doctor added infection cases are likely to increase in the coming days.

Doubting Maharashtra government’s distribution policy regarding amphotericin b Liposomal and Lipid Complex, the Nagpur bench of Bombay high court on Wednesday expressed possibility of discrimination between districts in supply of the lifesaving drugs.

The Madhya Pradesh government has issued a licence to a Jabalpur-based company to manufacture Amphotericin-B, a key antifungal drug used in the treatment of black fungus or mucormycosis, an official said.

While cases of mucormycosis or black fungus are being reported in Bengal, the state is grappling with a very low supply of Liposomal Amphotericine-B, an essential drug to treat fungal infection in Covid-19 patients. The Union government on Saturday has made available 50 more vials of the drug to West Bengal.

An additional 30,100 vials of Amphotericin-B was allocated to all the states and Union territories by the Centre on Monday to combat the black fungus infection, Union minister for chemicals and fertilisers D V Sadananda Gowda said. He said an additional 1,930 vials of Amphotericin-B has been allocated to Karnataka. With this, the state has so far received 12,710 vials.

Considering the acute shortage of anti-fungal drug Liposomal amphotericin b at health facilities, the state government has provided Posaconazole drug to ensure that the treatment of mucormycosis or black fungus patients is not hampered.

Pharmaceutical and healthcare major Zydus Cadila and Taiwan’s specialty pharmaceutical company TLC on Wednesday announced that they have signed an agreement to market liposomal amphotericin b in India. That is a critical drug to treat mucormycosis or black fungus.

Task force police arrested three pharmacists for indulging in illegal sale of Amphotericin-B injection used to treat mucormycosis and seized 35 vials from them. Acting on specific information, central zone team of task force laid a trap to nab three members of the gang at Necklace Road.

Reminiscent of the oxygen scarcity recently, amphotericin b, the drug used to treat mucormycosis, or black fungus, is now a burden for city hospitals. According to doctors, seven vials a day of the drug are required to be administered to a patient for at least 10 days. But the drug’s shortage is creating problems for patients and medical experts.

After the demand for remdesivir fuelled black market sale of the anti-viral in the city, Liposomal Amphotericin-B, a drug used in the treatment of mucormycosis (black fungus), is now being sold at inflated rates illegally.

After remdesivir, the supply of key anti-mucormycosis drugs — such as liposomal amphotericin b — has been brought under the control of the Pune district administration to prevent hoarding and black-marketing. Soon after the move came into effect in the PMR from Wednesday (May 19), 25 private hospitals collectively registered a requirement of 1,200 vials.

Two persons were arrested by the Kapurbawadi police for allegedly indulging in illegal procurement and sale of amphotericin b, a drug used in the treatment of black fungus. The police recovered 14 amphotericin b Liposome Injections - 50mg from their possession.

The government on Tuesday imposed curbs on export of Amphotericin-B injections that are used for treatment of mucormycosis or black fungus infections.

Replying to a question by L Hanumanthaiah, Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that till July 15, a total of 45,432 cases of mucormycosis were reported across the country and out of them, 21,085 patients were under treatment and 4,252 patients had died.

Two days after patients with mucormycosis developed side effects after administration of Lyophilized Amphotericin-B injections, MGM authorities have decided to discontinue its usage.

Enraged over the unavailability of amphotericin b injections, attendants of the patients suffering from mucormycosis or black fungus infection on Monday created a ruckus at the Government Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) medical college here in Madhya Pradesh, following which police personnel were deployed on the campus as a precautionary measure.

The Joint National Task Force for Covid-19 has advised 'salt loading' as a key intervention to prevent or reduce conventional Ampho's (amphotericin b) harmful effects on kidneys of patients with Covid-associated mucormycosis (CAM). The drug can trigger nephrotoxicity if used without adequate monitoring.