IIT-Hyderabad researchers develop oral solution for Black Fungus
Researchers are confident that the technology can be transferred to suitable pharma partners for mass production
Sangareddy: Oral tablets of Amphotericin B (AmB), developed by IIT-Hyderabad researchers way back in 2019 as a potential cure for Leishmaniasis or Kala Azar, could be now an affordable and effective solution for Black Fungus or mucormycosis which was declared as an epidemic recently. The premier institute has offered to transfer the technology to interested drug manufacturers for mass production of the tablets.
It was 2019 when Prof Saptarshi Majumdar and Dr Chandra Shekhar Sharma, both faculty members of Department of Chemical Engineering in IIT-H, made a proven study about oral nanofibrous AmB to be effective for Kala Azar. This is a first-ever attempt to fabricate nanofibrous oral tablets of Amphotericin B for the potential cure of Leishmaniasis or Kala Azar. Considering the two years of advancement in technology and examination since then, the researchers are now confident that the technology can be transferred to suitable pharma partners for large-scale production.
At present, the doctors are following the Kala Azar treatment for treating the Black Fungus and other funguses in the country. Considering its availability and affordability, the researchers opined that there was an urgent need to allow clinical trials of the oral drug.
At the Creative and Advanced Research Based on Nanomaterials (CARBON) lab of the IIT-H, a team led by Prof Saptarshi Majumdar and Dr Chandra Shekhar Sharma along with their PhD scholars Mrunalini Gaydhane and Anindita Laha intended to deliver Amphotericin B orally at an extremely slow rate, of course within the therapeutic window. The purpose was to increase the drug absorption and reduce aggregation, to lower the drug toxicity. For this, the team selected gelatin, an FDA-approved polymer, as an excipient for drug molecules.
Amphotericin B has been a lifeline for thousands of patients around the world suffering from Black Fungus. However, it is currently being manufactured in the form of an injection by some pharma companies and is considered as one of the expensive treatments as each vial is priced at around Rs 4,000 to Rs 6,500. Each patient requires about 60 to 100 vials during the course of the treatment.
Citing the importance of solutions in given circumstances, Dr Chandra Shekhar Sharma, associate professor at Department of Chemical Engineering, said, “As the main idea behind our research is to find a solution to serve society. The technology developed is made free from IP, so that it can be mass-produced and is affordable and can be made available to the public at large. We can be reached via our public and corporate relations at ‘office.pcr@iith.ac.in’ for any queries in this regard.”
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