New Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday informed the Bombay High Court that anti-fungal drugs like Amphotericin B used for treating black fungus had been allocated to states on a need-based system and there was no discrimination against any state, including Maharashtra. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Anil Singh told the court that the Centre was making all efforts to ensure the availability of the drug to Maharashtra.

Anil Singh said the Centre had started importing Amphotericin B from US-based company Gilead and import licenses had also been granted to two companies." We (Union of India) are leaving no stone unturned to see that the drug is available in adequate quantities. A task force is constituted, the SC is also monitoring," the ASG told a division bench of Justice SP Deshmukh and Justice GS Kulkarni. The court was hearing a bunch of PILs on the management of resources related to the Covid-19 situation.

Maharashtra has 4,380 active mucormycosis or black fungus patients as of now, translating to a daily requirement of 17,520 vials of Amphotericin B. However, there are only 5,600 vials available. The state has reported 675 deaths due to mucormycosis. Advocate General (AG) AshutoshKumbhakoni, who appeared for Maharashtra, said the state currently required over 17,500 vials of the drug on a daily basis."We have 4,380 active patients and one patient requires four vials per day. Some need 5-6. We need 17,520 vials per day. As far as public hospitals are concerned, there is no serious shortage because we have 715 vials that are 400 mg. There is no acute shortage as such in the government hospitals," AshutoshKumbhakoni said. Kumbhakoni informed the court that "the problem is that it is not getting manufactured". Maharashtra had hoped that by the start of June, the state would procure 60,000 vials of Amphotericin B through global tenders. However, it has not happened so far . The AG further said the state was producing Amphotericin B in-house in association with pharma company Haffkine Bio and it expected to receive 40,000 vials of the drug between June 18 and June 30.