Just In
- 2 hrs ago Aditi Rao Hydari's 8 Tips for Glowing Skin: A Celebrity Skincare Routine Unveiled, Bonus Tips Included!
- 2 hrs ago April 2024 Health Horoscope: Know How This Month Will Affect Zodiac Signs In Terms Of Wellness
- 3 hrs ago Good Friday 2024: Wishes, Messages, Greetings, Texts, Images, Quotes, WhatsApp, And FB Status
- 11 hrs ago Aditi Rao Hydari Marries Siddharth, Exploring Heeramandi Star's Ethnic Style Statements, Bookmark Now!
Don't Miss
- Sports Rajasthan Royals Rising Star Riyan Parag's Redemption Story Takes Center Stage in IPL 2024
- Movies Krishna Mohini Promo: Fahmaan Khan- Debattama Saha's New Show Looks Promising, To REPLACE THIS Drama?
- Finance 1,190% Dividend Payout Soon: UBS Optimistic On Electrical Stock ABB, Recommends Buy For Rs 7,550 TP
- News Jailed Gangster-Turned-Politician Mukhtar Ansari Dies Of Heart Attack
- Automobiles Xiaomi SU7 Electric Car Launched – May End Apple Inc.
- Technology HONOR Pad 9 With Bluetooth Keyboard Up For Grabs At Rs 22,499 in India
- Education RSMSSB Junior Instructor Recruitment 2024; Apply online for 2500 Posts, Check out for more details
- Travel Explore Tamil Nadu's Diverse Wedding Venues
Researchers From IIT Hyderabad Developed Oral Drug To Treat COVID-Related Fungal Infections
According to recent reports, researchers from IIT Hyderabad have developed nanofiber-based, controlled-release oral tablets of amphotericin B, a drug that is currently being used to treat COVID-related fungal infections such as black, white and yellow fungal infections, and is available only in an injectable form. [1]
Two years ago, the researchers innovated this new formulation to treat kala azar or black fever, a severe form of leishmaniasis caused by protozoan parasites. The reports add that at present, kala azar treatment is being used to treat post-Covid fungal infections and the presence of amphotericin B oral tablets can be helpful to treat patients with the condition.
Let's know more about it.
What Is Yellow Fungus Infection? Causes, Symptoms, Complications, Treatments And Other Details
About The Research
In 2019, the researchers from IIT Hyderabad's Creative and Advanced research lab who are involved in nanomaterials have reported manufacturing of the amphotericin B oral tablets by using gelatin nanofibers.
The oral tablets were innovated for use in the treatment of kala azar, a parasitic disease which is affecting around 0.5 million people a year, the majority from Nepal and India. According to a study, there were no effective orally administered drugs for kala azar, except for the injection. [2]
Earlier, black fever was treated with four weeks of injection of sodium stibogluconate. Though the treatment showed positive results in around 37-64 per cent of patients, it has also shown some serious side effects related to cardiotoxicity in around 7-10 per cent of people and treatment-related deaths in around 5-10 per cent of individuals.
The toxicity and high cost of the injection have affected its wide use in developing countries where kala azar is epidemic.
However, with the development of amphotericin B oral tablets, the researchers are confident that now kala azar might be treated effectively, and this innovation can also be effective for the treatment of recent ongoing fungal infections related to COVID-19.
What Are Steroids And Why Are They Given To COVID-19 Patients?
Symptoms Of Kala Azar
Kala azar is a fatal condition if not treated immediately. Some of the symptoms of kala azar include: [3]
- Fever
- Cachexia, a condition characterised by extreme weight loss and muscle wasting.
- Hepatosplenomegaly, a condition in which the spleen gets larger than liver
- Pancytopenia
- Lymphadenopathy, a condition characterised by swollen or enlarged lymph nodes.
- Pancytopenia, low counts of all the three types of blood cells, RBCs, WBCs and platelets.
- Hypergammaglobulinemia, a chronic liver disease.
What Are COVID-Related Fungal Infections?
Among many post-treatment COVID-19 symptoms, fungal infections such as black fungus, white fungus and yellow fungus have gained attention due to their fatality during the middle and later stages of the disease, especially in critically ill patients. [4]
Patients who are admitted to ICU, on ventilation or in hospital stay for a longer duration (longer than 50 days) are more likely to develop fungal infections mainly due to weakened immune system.
Common symptoms of COVID-related fungal infections include:
- Cough
- Headache
- Fever
- Sinus pain
- Nasal congestion
- Skin infections
- Blisters
- Swelling of the skin
- Skin tenderness
- Blackened skin tissues
- Redness of the skin
What Are Antibodies? How Do They Help Us Fight COVID-19?
To Conclude
Amphotericin- B injections which are currently used in the treatment of black fungal infections cost lakhs of rupees. A 50 mg vial costs around Rs 4000 and 60-100 vials are required for a single patient which often cost them lakhs of rupees.
The oral tables of amphotericin- B could be less expensive and affordable for patients. It could cost Rs 200 per tablet of 60 mg dose, as said by Dr Chandra Shekhar Sharma, Associate Professor in the Chemical Engineering department at IIT-Hyderabad.
The innovation is yet to be patented and made available for public use. The manufacturing of the drug will also require pharmaceutical companies who can conduct clinical trials on the drug and help in the large-scale manufacturing of amphotericin B oral tablets.
Vegan Vs Vegetarian: Differences, Benefits, Similarities And Downsides
Common FAQs
1. Can amphotericin B be given orally?
Earlier, no oral drug of amphotericin B was available, but as per the recent reports, researchers from IIT Hyderabad have developed oral forms of amphotericin injections, which could be effective to treat fungal infections related to recent COVID-19.
2. What is amphotericin B used to treat?
Amphotericin B is usually used in the treatment of fungal and protozoal infections such as kala azar, candidiasis, urinary tract infection and candidiasis yeast infection.
3. How should amphotericin B be administered?
Amphotericin B is injected slowly intravenously over a time of around 2-6 hours once daily, depending on the condition and dose.
- wellnessIs Vinegar Effective To Get Rid Of Mould?
- wellnessWhat You Need To Know About Fungal Nail Infections
- improvementLet Your House Shine In Monsoon!
- gardeningGardens In The Sky!
- wellnessDrug That May Treat Serious COVID-19 Complication In Children Identified
- wellnessCOVID-19: DGCI Grants Restricted Emergency-Use Nod To Corbevax Vaccine For 12-18 Age Group
- healthNo Clear Evidence Yet On Omicron's Transmissibility, Immune Evasion, Severity In India: INSACOG
- healthIndia's Omicron Count Crosses 160
- healthCOVID-19: India Adds Ghana And Tanzania To List Of 'At-Risk' Countries
- health1 In 3 Indians Continue To Refrain From Carrying Masks When Stepping Out: Survey
- healthCOVID-19: Govt Writes To States/UT Over Rising Weekly Positivity Rates And Deaths
- healthOmicron: Is It Too Soon To Panic About Existing COVID Vaccines And The New Variant?