The currently available drugs for fungal keratitis are less effective due to poor drug penetration,poor bioavailability, and antifungal efficacy.

The drug approved by the US FDA Natamycin used in first-line treatment of fungal keratitis shows less efficacy due to poor ocular penetration requires frequent dosing.

Professor Archana Chugh, Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, IIT-Delhi said, “These peptides are known to have the ability to carry molecules with them in the cells. Therefore, when poorly permeable Natamycin was attached to the peptide, the formed complex showed better antifungal effect” .

The research study by a team of women scientists in IIT Delhi discovered that conjugate drug penetration was 5-fold higher than Natamycin in rabbits, thus enabling lowering of the dosage frequency.

The promising results obtained in the animal studies give hope to scientists that the Biotechnology/ Pharmaceutical industry will come forward for its clinical trials. .

Source: Medindia