Silvester D’Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)
Kundapur, May 25: Deadly black fungus, which has emerged as a new ailment during the Covid19 second wave, has been hounding and harassing those who become infected by this disease. One of the most effective medicines to treat this disease happens to be liposomal amphotericin B.
A Kannadiga from coastal Karnataka, Bhandya Srikanth Pai, had led a team of researchers of Bharat Serums and Vaccines Ltd that put in laborious work to find this medicine. Srikanth is from Gangolli near here. He completed his high school and PU education at Gangolli and Kundapur before getting his BPharma course at Bengaluru in 1975 and securing MPharma degree from Manipal in 1977. He then joined Bharat Serums and Vaccines Ltd in Mumbai.
After getting involved with various research projects, a team led by Srikanth developed the generic form of a medicine, AmBisome, in 2012. Liposomal Amphotericin B has been widely studied as regards its efficacy and arsenic properties. It has emerged as the most popular product to be prescribed by doctors to treat black fungus infection. It costs between Rs 6,000 and Rs 7,000.
Compared to other traditional medicines, trials of a medicine developed by the same team, amphotericin B lipid complex (abelcet) on animals has shown that the medicine has a safety profile of over 20 times. This medicine is available at a price of Rs 3,000 to Rs 3,500. Another medicine, Amphotericin B Emulsion, which is available at affordable prices, has been developed and a patent has been secured for the same. Compared to other traditional products, this product costs only about Rs 2,000. This medicine has a hundred times safety profile.
The same team led by Srikanth, when working for Bharat Serums and Vaccines Ltd, has so far developed four products which rank high as far as effectiveness, safety and arsenic profiles are concerned. These products have proved to be a boon for their patients of the said lethal disease. Expert medical practitioners decide which medicine is best suited for individual patients.
After retiring from Bharat Serums and Vaccines, Srikanth is now spending his retired life in Mumbai. He works as a freelance consultant. He has conducted 16 researches in formulations that have been patented. He is backed by an experience of 35 years in this field.