New Drugs To Tackle AMR, Kala-Azar Developed In India

New Delhi: India has developed a novel antibiotic to fight antimicrobial resistance (AMR), as well as a new drug to tackle burden of kala-azar, also known as visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in the country, deliberated eminent scientists on Friday.

The experts were speaking on the second day of the 9th International Symposium on Current Trends in Drug Discovery Research at CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute in Lucknow. The event saw experts from different areas share their recent findings on drug resistance, Car T-cell therapy for cancer care, and parasitic and viral diseases.

Prof Shyam Sundar from the Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, shared the journey of the epidemic of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), starting from its origin to elimination, in India.

“Single-dose liposomal amphotericin B (LAmB) is a game changer in the management of visceral leishmaniasis,” said Sundar.

According to data from the National Centre for Vector Borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC), India has achieved its target of eliminating kala-azar. The country had initially aimed to eliminate kala-azar by 2010, but the target was extended until 2023 due to persistent challenges.

Sundar noted that the elimination target for VL needs to be held in 2025 to obtain the WHO certification. The experts also highlighted that AMR has rendered many existing antibiotics ineffective, posing a major global health crisis.

To counter this, Dr Sachin S Bhagwat from the Wockhardt Research Center, Aurangabad, spoke on the discovery of a novel mechanism of an action-based beta-lactam plus beta-lactam enhancer combination -- WCK 5222 -- with comprehensive coverage of pan-drug resistant Gram-negatives.

Even as AMR infections are responsible for up to 8.85 lakh deaths annually, with an additional 9.6 lakh linked to sepsis, Bhagwat said the novel beta-lactam enhancer, Zidebactam, in combination with cefepime (WCK 5222), demonstrated potent activity against 35,000 global pan-drug-resistant Gram-negative isolates.

"WCK 5222 has saved over 45 lives under compassionate use and completed successful trials in severe documented meropenem-resistant infections and is expected to change the treatment paradigm for life-threatening Gram-negative infections,” he added.

Further, Prof. Rahul Purwar from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, shared the journey on the first “Make in India” CAR-T cell therapy, which is a “robust, safe and affordable technology platform and validated through Phase I and Phase II clinical trials” in the country.