Supply of key injection to normalise soon

COMPANIES MANUFACTURING LIPOSOMAL AMPHOTERICIN B INJECTION HAVE INCREASED THEIR PRODUCTION AFTER ITS DEMAND SPIRALED WHEN HOSPITALS STARTED REPORTING CASES OF BLACK FUNGUS (MUCORMYCOSIS) IN LUCKNOW AND REST OF THE COUNTRY

LUCKNOW: The pharmaceutical industry is hopeful of fulfilling sudden surge in demand of lifesaving Liposomal Amphotericin B injection used for treating black fungus, the post Covid-19 complication, in a week’s time.

Companies manufacturing this injection have increased their production after its demand spiraled when hospitals started reporting cases of black fungus (Mucormycosis) in Lucknow and rest of the country.

According to sources in pharma industry, the Liposomal Amphotericin B injection was hardly in demand till date.

“It was only after cases of black fungus were reported from all across the country since last 10 days that its demand all of a sudden increased manifold,” said a senior official of Bharat Serums and Vaccines Limited, company which manufactures the injection, pleading anonymity.

“Before this sudden spike in demand, companies manufacturing Liposomal Amphotericin B injection used to keep bare minimum stock of this injection in their inventory,” he added.

“Now, companies have increased their production. But one production cycle of Liposomal Amphotericin B injection takes 14 to 20 days which involves its testing also. In the next one week, supply of this injection will be normalised,” he asserted.

“Medical stores used to keep minimum stock of this injection as it was not much in demand,” said Vinay Shukla, vice president, Lucknow Chemist Association.

After supply of this injection is streamlined, the onus to check its black marketing and hoarding lies on the district administration.

The Red Cross model of distribution of Remdesivir injection might be adopted to ensure that there is no black marketing of Liposomal Amphotericin B injection in Lucknow after its supply is normalised, said an official of the health department.

The Lucknow administration managed to tackle the crisis of Remdesivir injection by ensuring its distribution through the Red Cross Society.

In the state capital the Red Cross Society had started distributing Remdesivir injection from May 6 last from its office in Kaiserbagh.

The office of chief medical officer is also in the same campus.

“The Red Cross has distributed 960 Remdesivir injections to 374 patients from May 6. The state government has fixed Rs 1800 per injection,” said Gaurav Maheshwari, member, executive committee, Red Cross Society, Lucknow.

“A doctor’s prescription, Aadhar card of the patient and the kin who is collecting injections and a letter addressed to the chief medical officer are the only documents required in two sets for collecting Remdesivir,” said Maheshwari.