Low-cost oral medication for black fungus | Fusion - WeRIndia

In addition to COVID-19, fungal infections are also trembling the country. Various types of fungal infections have been reported from different places across the country. To provide great relief to patients, a team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, developed low-cost oral medication for black fungus.

Currently, Kala Azar is being treated with the administration of Amphotericin B (AmB) injections. It is recommended for intravenous administration due to its high toxicity under medical supervision.

The treatment is done for 30 days. Each vial of AmB costs around ₹3,000. Nearly 70 vials are needed for a patient, based on the severity of their health condition. Moreover, patients need to stay at the hospital during their treatment.

The AmB has poor aqueous solubility due to its amphiphilic nature. Hence it is nephrotoxic and can damage kidneys.

That’s why researchers from IIT-Hyderabad have been working on the development of an oral solution for two years to treat black fungus. They succeeded in their attempts. The team includes Prof Saptarshi Majumdar and Dr Chandra Shekhar Sharma and their PhD scholars.

They developed oral medication of AmB using gelatin for the slow release of the drug within the therapeutic window.

The team developed a technology for the mass production of oral medication. Unlike injections, oral medication is cost-effective. A 60 mg of tablet costs ₹200.

Besides, patients need not stay at hospitals for oral administration of the drug. Thus, oral mediation reduces the burden for both doctors and patients.

But, there may be unmonitored usage. In this context, researchers warn that the drug can adversely affect kidneys. Though the drug had shown positive results in the lab tests, its efficacy and safety have to be checked in clinical trials. The team also experimented with different pH levels to check for adverse reactions.

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