Hyderabad, May 31 (IANS): Hyderabad-based specialty biopharmaceutical manufacturer, Celon Laboratories, on Monday announced the launch of an alternative drug - Amphotericin B Emulsion, for the treatment of Mucormycosis, commonly known as black fungus.

The emulsion-based drug is set to provide much needed respite to patients reeling under the severe impact of the second wave of Covid-19 and the resultant black fungus, the company said.

Celon will manufacture 10,000 vials per day, which will ensure relief for approximately 6,000 patients monthly.

Amphotericin B, is crucial to the treatment of Mucormycosis, of which a sudden resurgence is being witnessed off late among Covid-19 patients, across India.

Though Celon has been manufacturing Liposomal Amphotericin B since 2013, market demands were not met due to the unavailability of a critical ingredient sourced from Germany - lipoids. To bypass the bottleneck caused by this sourcing obstacle and increase production of this medication, Celon developed an alternative, an emulsion-based formulation.

Exhaustively developed by Celon's in-house R&D team in a record three weeks, the emulsion-based formulation will provide leading hospitals and Covid-19 treatment centers with increased resources to treat the black fungus.

"Celon Labs is deeply committed to supporting the ongoing efforts to combat the Covid-19 pandemic during this deadly second wave and to save as many lives as possible. The emulsion-based formulation is an ideal alternative to Liposomal Amphotericin B to combat the Black Fungus. The company will start supplying the domestic market soon," said Celon Labs' Managing Director M. Nagesh Kumar.

Chairman of Celon, Hocine Sidi expressed his gratitude to employees for achieving this important milestone: "I am delighted to see that Celon Labs has mobilized its talents and expertise to swiftly respond to this pressing medical need. I am grateful to the team at Celon Labs who have made the launch of Amphotericin B Emulsion possible," he said.