Thiruvananthapuram: Health Minister Veena George will accept the first shipment of miltefosine, a vital drug for treating the lethal amoebic meningoencephalitis, arranged by Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil, Chairman of VPS Lakeshore.
This follows a landmark medical achievement where doctors successfully saved a child—the first such case in India—from this devastating disease. The increased availability of miltefosine is a significant development, especially as the state grapples with more cases of this brain-eating amoebic infection.
“This marks the first occasion that medication for this disease has been sourced internationally. Additional miltefosine batches are expected in the coming days,” according to an official statement.
Miltefosine (1-O-hexadecylphosphocholine) is an alkylphosphocholine and a membrane-active synthetic ether-lipid analogue. Initially developed for cancer treatment, it was registered in India in 2002 for visceral leishmaniasis. However, access to miltefosine has been sporadic.
Since May this year, three children have succumbed to this disease, which is caused by the amoeba Naegleria fowleri. These free-living amoebas typically inhabit stagnant water bodies. Infection occurs when the amoeba enters the body through the nasal passages during activities like bathing, leading to severe brain infections and encephalitis.
