NEW DELHI — The
development of an indigenous antibiotic Nafithromycin is an important
achievement by Indian scientists, and may be crucial in the country’s fight
against antimicrobial resistance (AMR), said experts on Saturday.
Developed by Indian pharma company Wockhardt, with support
from the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC),
Nafithromycin targets Community-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia (CABP).
The drug marketed as "Miqnaf" is effective against
CABP caused by drug-resistant bacteria, which disproportionately affects
vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and those with
compromised immune systems.
“Development of the indigenous antibiotic Nafithromycin is a
very important achievement by Indian scientists. Potency and newness of the
Nafithromycin shall help doctors to treat multi-drug resistant bacteria,
particularly causing respiratory infections,” Dr. Harshal R Salve, Additional
Professor, Centre for Community Medicine at AIIMS, New Delhi, told IANS.
“As respiratory infections are one of the most important
hospital-acquired infections this new antibiotic shall provide great help to
the infection management of hospitalised patients,” he added.
Nafithromycin is designed to treat both typical and atypical
drug-resistant bacteria -- making it a crucial tool in addressing the global
health crisis of AMR (Anti-microbial Resistance). It boasts superior safety,
minimal side effects, and no significant drug interactions.
It belongs to a class of antibiotics, called Macrolides,
that treat bacterial infections by preventing bacteria from producing proteins.
Its development marks a pivotal moment in the fight against antimicrobial
resistance, showcasing India’s growing capabilities in pharmaceutical
innovation.
The drug is also 10 times more effective than current
treatments like azithromycin and offers a three-day treatment regimen,
significantly shortening the recovery time while improving patient outcomes.
“Macrolides are ‘tailor-made’ antibiotics for the management
of pneumococcal infections in outpatient and hospital settings. Its features
include oral bioavailability; exponential lung (site-of-infection) penetration;
and pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) features permitting less frequent
dosing. Macrolides are the most abused class of antibiotics which was
expensively used in covid era too,” Dr. Dhiren Gupta, head dept of Pediatric
pulmonology from Sir Ganga Ram hospital, told IANS.
The expert noted that both in India and globally, invasive
and non-invasive pneumococcal infections are accountable for a substantial
healthcare burden.
“Development of this new antibiotic is definitely going to
help India but it’s going to be temporary if antibiotics are misused. Bacteria
will likely develop resistance against Nafithromycin as well,” Gupta said.
With the threat of AMR being one of the biggest public
health challenges, the experts called out the need to curtail the use of
antibiotics by limiting their availability in the open market and also
off-prescription availability.
“Rational use of antibiotics, stoppage of over the counter
supply of antibiotics capacity building of both patients, communities and
health care provides for in stopping irrational use of antibiotics though the
systematic approach is essential to address the issue of AMR at the community
level," Salve said.
