News Analysis India

Tag: amphotericin-B

  • 27 black fungus patients fall sick after Amphotericin-B shot in Madhya Pradesh

    By PTI
    SAGAR: At least 27 patients suffering from mucormycosis or ‘black fungus’ took ill after they were administered Amphotericin-B injections at the government Bundelkhand Medical College (BMC) in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district, an official said on Sunday, adding the medical condition of these patients is stable now.

    The use of the injection, a key drug in the treatment of black fungus, was immediately stopped after the incident on Saturday evening.

    “At least 27 patients, out of the 42 patients admitted in the mucormycosis ward, were given Amphotericin-B injections on Saturday around 6 pm.

    Immediately after they were administered the injections, which were provided to us by the government, the patients started complaining of adverse reactions like mild fever, shivering and vomiting,” BMC public relation officer Dr Umesh Patel told PTI over the phone.

    He said the use of the injection was stopped immediately.

    “BMC superintendent and dean sprang into action and symptomatic treatment of the affected patients was started immediately. The condition of all the patients is stable.

    There is no need to fear,” Dr Patel added.

    He said authorities and the government are being kept in the loop about the treatment being given to the patients.

    Another doctor at the facility said approximately 300 to 350 anti-fungal injections had been supplied to the BMC by the MP government just two days ago.

    “These Amphotericin-B injections were of a different brand. Earlier, we used to get injections of another manufacturer,” he added.

  • HC asks Centre, Delhi govt to form policy on distribution of drug for black fungus patients

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court Monday asked the Centre and Delhi government to come out with a policy on distribution of Amphotericin-B, used for treating black fungus patients, and take the “cruel decision” of excluding certain age group or class of people till the drug is in shortage.

    The bench said “we follow the practice of ‘Vasudev Kutumbakam’ which means the world is one family but if there are two patients in a family who need the medicine and you have one dose, you have to chose one member”.

    The bench asked them not to leave the decision to the doctors and form a clear policy in this regard and told the counsel for the Centre and Delhi government to come back with instructions on Tuesday.

    Citing an example, it said that if there are two patients — one is 80-year-old and other is 35-year-old — and there is only one dose of medicine then it should be given to whom.

    “That’s a bullet you have to take it” and “you have to take this cruel decision” which is not at all an easy task, said a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh, making it clear that it was not at all saying life of any person is less important than another.

    “Every life is important but we are trying to find a way forward. Every life is important, we are not for a moment saying someone’s life is not important or less important.

    But you have to take a decision. Every single life is important,” the bench said.

    It said it is an issue which neither Centre nor state government can duck and it is a decision that the political leadership will have to take in consultation with medical experts without leaving it only to doctors who may face the wrath of the patients’ relatives.

    Senior advocate Rahul Mehra, representing the Delhi government, said they were following the formula of Centre to allocate the vials on pro-rata basis and let the Central government change its formula, the state will change its system.

    The court also told the Centre’s counsel that as a matter of policy, the government will have to say till the drug is not available in appropriate quantity, it will have to leave some patients and “you have to exclude some”.

    “The 80-year-old man has lived his life, he has no more responsibility, of course there is a support from his side to the family.

    Whereas, the 35-year-old patient has two children to support. If we have to make a cruel choice, we have to take a decision.

    Will you give it to the 80-year-old patient or to whom who has two children to support,” the bench said.

    Central government standing counsel Kirtiman Singh said for non-centre hospitals, states have to take the decision and even states will know the patient load.

    To this, the bench said, “You have to prioritise. There is scarcity of the medicine. You will have to make that list.

    You are making allocation from central pool. It has to be on the basis of priority.” It said if a patient requires six vials to beat the fungus, the government cannot say make do with two doses.

    “Neither Centre nor state government can duck it. It is a decision that the political leadership will have to take in consultation with medical experts.

    Why you are leaving the decision with the doctor. He will be lynched by four others in the hospital,” the bench said, adding politically it will be good for both for them, the Centre and the state.

    It said the government has to take the decision whether to give it to 80 plus, 75 plus of age group or not as today everyone is suffering across the board and if a person does not get six vials a day, it could be fatal.

    The bench said distributing two vials each to everyone is not helping anyone and said giving medicine on pro-rata basis was not acceptable and asked the counsel to come with instructions on Tuesday.

    The court has been hearing the issue of shortage of the medicine for treating black fungus, primarily affecting people who have recovered from COVID-19.

    The court has also asked the Centre to place on record the details of current status of its imports of the drug and when the stocks are expected.

    According to the Union Health Ministry, people catch mucormycosis by coming in contact with the fungal spores in the environment.

    It can also develop on the skin after the fungus enters the skin through a cut, scrape, burn, or other type of skin trauma.

    The disease is being detected among patients who are recovering or have recovered from COVID-19.

    Moreover, anyone who is diabetic and whose immune system is not functioning well needs to be on the guard against this, the ministry has said.

    PTI SKV SKV RKS RKS 05311948 NNNN

  • Central govt provides licence to five companies to ramp up Amphotericin B injection production

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: The Central government has given licence to five companies to ramp up the production of Liposomal Amphotericin B injections, which is used to treat black fungus or mucormycosis, the sources said.

    According to the sources, after the Prime Minister had instructed officials to get this drug from anywhere it is available in the world, the Indian missions across the world have been involved in securing supplies of Amphotericin B (AmBisome) vials.

    The sources said Gilead Sciences in the US is working on expediting the supply of AmBisome to India through Mylan.

    Sources further stated that more than 1,21,000 vials of AmBisome have reached India so far and another 85,000 vials of the drug are on the way.

    The company will supply 1 million doses of AmBisome to India through Mylan, the sources said.

    The Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers Sadananda Gowda yesterday informed that additional 29,250 vials of Amphotericin B, used in the treatment of Mucormycosis, were allocated to states and Union Territories, based on their number of patients under treatment.

    Earlier, additional 19,420 vials of Amphotericin-B were allocated on May 24 and 23,680 vials of the drug were supplied across the country on May 21, the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers informed. (ANI)

  • Gujarat government notification on distribution of mucormycosis medicine ‘vague and defective’: HC

    All districts should have their own expert committees to decide on the requirement of the medicine, the court said.

  • Black fungus: Center allocates 29,250 additional vials of Amphotericin-B to States and UTs

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: The Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers Sadananda Gowda informed on Wednesday that additional 29,250 vials of Amphotericin-B, used in the treatment of Mucormycosis, were allocated to States and Union Territories, based on their number of patients under treatment.

    The minister tweeted, “Additional 29,250 vials of #Amphotericin- B drug, used in treatment of #Mucormycosis, have been allocated to all the States/UTs today. The allocation has been made based on the number of patients under treatment which is 11,717 across the country”.

    Earlier, additional 19,420 vials of Amphotericin- B were allocated on 24th May and 23,680 vials of the drug were supplied across the country on 21st May, the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers informed. 

  • Black fungus: Centre allocates additional 19,420 vials of Amphotericin-B to states, UTs

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: In view of the rising Mucormycosis (commonly known as black fungus) cases across the country, the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers on Tuesday informed that it has allocated 19,420 additional vials of Amphotericin-B to various States and Union Territories.

    “Additional 19,420 vials of #Amphotericin-B have been allocated to all States/UTs and Central Institutions today. Besides this, 23680 vials of Amphotericin- B were allocated across country on 21st May”, tweeted the Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers, DV Sadananda Gowda.

    Mucormycosis or black fungus is a fungal infection caused by exposure to mucor mould which is commonly found in soil, plants, manure, and decaying fruits and vegetables.

    ALSO READ | Black fungus: Mucormycosis affects oral cavity, here are precautions you can take

    As of now, Amphotericin-B, an anti-fungal drug is being used for the treatment of the black fungus disease.

    The Union Health Ministry, on May 20, urged the states to make mucormycosis, a notifiable disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897. The central government has made it mandatory for states to report both suspected and confirmed cases of mucormycosis to the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP).

    Cases of black fungus infection are being reported in several parts of the country. States like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Karnataka, Odisha, Telangana and Tamil Nadu have already declared it a ‘notifiable’ disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act, thereby making it mandatory to report every Mucormycosis case to the state government.

    Delhi also reported more than 500 cases of black fungus till yesterday, as per Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

  • Black fungus cases near 400-mark in Haryana, Gurgaon reports 147 cases 

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: The total number of black fungus cases in Haryana rose to 398, with the maximum 147 cases reported from Gurgaon district, the health department said on Sunday.

    Apart from Gurgaon, Hisar has 50 such cases, Faridabad 46, Sirsa 38, Rohtak 21, Bhiwani 20, Karnal 17, Panipat 15, Ambala and Panipat 11 each, Panchkula seven, Sonipat six, Rewari five, Jind two, and Palwal and Yamunanagar reported one case each.

    With rising number of black fungus or mucormycosis cases in the state on the rise, Health Minister Anil Vij had recently chaired a meeting of senior officials regarding management of the disease.

    EXPLAINER | What is ‘deadly’ Black Fungus disease and why COVID-19 patients should take extra care against it?

    He had earlier said that the state government has ordered a global tender to procure anti-fungal injection Amphotericin B.

    “We have sought 12,000 of these injections from the Centre,” Vij said on Sunday.

    Besides, experts have been asked to look for alternative anti-fungal infections for the treatment of black fungus cases, he said.

    The minister also reiterated that the state government has already initiated steps, including reserving 20 beds in wards in medical colleges, for specialised treatment of the infection.

    Vij said steps are being taken to ensure adequate availability of necessary drugs for the disease.

    Black fungus was declared a notified disease in the state last week.

    The doctors will now have to report such cases to chief medical officer (CMO) concerned.

  • Black fungus treatment: Centre allocates additional 23,680 vials of Amphotericin-B to states/UTs

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: With cases of mucormycosis or black fungus increasing, the government has allocated 23,680 additional vials of Amphotericin-B to various states and union territories (UTs), Union Minister Sadananda Gowda said on Saturday.

    The allocation has been made based on the total number of patients which is around 8,848 across the country, he noted. “After a detailed review of rising no.of cases of #Mucormycosis in various states, a total of 23,680 additional vials of #Amphotericin- B have been allocated to all States/UTs today,” Gowda, who is Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers, tweeted.

    After a detailed review of rising no. of cases of #Mucormycosis in various states, a total of 23680 additional vials of #Amphotericin- B have been allocated to all States/UTs today.The Allocation has been made based on total no. of patients which is approx. 8848 across country. pic.twitter.com/JPsdEHuz0W
    — Sadananda Gowda (@DVSadanandGowda) May 22, 2021

    He noted that states like Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and telangana have been allotted 75 per cent of the additional vials. Mucormycosis, also known as black fungus, damages the nose, eyes, sinuses, and sometimes even the brain.

    ALSO READ| Over 5 lakh vials of black fungus drug amphotericinB to be imported in May-June: Centre

    It is a very rare infection which is caused by exposure to mucor mould which is commonly found in soil, plants, manure, and decaying fruits and vegetables. It affects the sinuses, the brain and the lungs and can be life-threatening in diabetic or severely immuno-compromised individuals such as cancer patients or people with HIV/AIDS.

    The doctors in India are documenting an alarming number of cases of mucormycosis among patients with COVID-19 and those who have recently recovered. They believe that mucormycosis may be triggered by the use of steroids, a life-saving treatment for severe and critically ill COVID-19 patients.

  • Black fungus: Centre chalks out strategy to ensure availability of Amphotericin-B

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The government has chalked out a plan to increase the availability of amphotericin-B, used in the treatment of a rare fungal infection mucormycosis, Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Mansukh Mandaviya said on Tuesday.

    “Reviewed requirement and supply position of #AmphotericinB which cures Mucormycosis. We have chalked out a strategy with manufacturers to ramp up domestic production as well as to import the drug from all over the world,” Mandaviya said in a tweet.

    The minister observed that the supply of Amphotericin-B has been increased many-fold in the country.

    Reviewed requirement and supply position of #AmphotericinB which cures Mucormycosis. We have chalked out a strategy with manufacturers to ramp up domestic production as well as to import the drug from all over the world. (1/3)
    — Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) May 18, 2021

    “We have already improved the supply of #AmphotericinB by many folds. But currently, we are facing a sudden demand surge. Let me assure that we are committed to moving heaven and earth to make it available to needy patients,” he said in another tweet.

    Stating that the shortage of the drug will be resolved at the earliest, Mandaviya said, “We have also outlined the system for efficient distribution and supply chain management of #AmphotericinB.

    The shortage will get resolved at the earliest.

    I also urge states to use this drug judiciously by strictly following guidelines.”

    The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers had said that states have been requested to put in place a mechanism for equitable distribution of supplies of the drug amongst government and private hospitals and health care agencies.

    The arrangements for supply will be monitored by the National Pharmaceuticals Pricing Authority (NPPA),” it had added.