The public sector National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) has transferred the technical know-how, it had acquired from Delhi University for the anti-fungal formulation amphoetricin-B to Shantha Biotechnics. As per an agreement signed here last week, the Hyderabad-based company will commence commercial production of the formulation after completing the last phase of its lab-scale development.

Amphotericin-B, a product based on nanoparticle technology, is capable of treating systemic fungal infections. It is also highly effective in the treatment of Kalaazar prevailing in Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh, parts of West Bengal and Orissa.

According to a health ministry official, the manufacture of new formulation will give India an edge over the existing technologies for the treatment of resistant Kalaazar cases and patients with immuno compromise stages such as those suffering from AIDS, cancer and organ transplantation. The nano technology for the formulation was originally developed by scientists with the department of chemistry, Delhi University and was later assigned to the NRDC for up scaling.