‘Rs 8 Crore Assistance’: Govt Fact Checks Claims On Nafithromycin Antibiotic

The government on Friday refuted the claims circulating on social media regarding India’s first indigenously developed antibiotic, Nafithromycin, to fight drug resistance. 

The antibiotic, developed by Wockhardt Ltd., was soft-launched by Union Minister of Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh, on Wednesday.

In a post on X, the Department of Biotechnology wrote, “It has come to our attention that fake news regarding the soft launch of #Nafithromycin (Miqnaf), developed by @Wockhardt Limited in collaboration with @DBT-BIRAC, is being disseminated across various social media platforms.”

Debunking the fake news, the post said that the antibiotic has been developed by Wockhardt at an investment of Rs 500 crore. BIRAC provided financial assistance of Rs 8 crore for the phase 3 clinical trial of the antibiotic and technical support through expert committees, the post read.

“Antibiotic Nafithromycin has been developed by Wockhardt Limited (Wolkardt is incorrect spelling),” it said.

“BIRAC has provided financial support of Rs 8 crore for Phase 3 clinical trials of Nafithromycin to Wockhardt (out of the total cost of Rs 500 crore) and technical support through expert committees,” the Department of Biotechnology said.

Nafithromycin, brought to market under the trade name "Miqnaf," is aimed at tackling Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).

According to a press release by the Ministry of Science and Technology, this innovation is designed to treat Community-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia (CABP), a severe illness caused by drug-resistant bacteria, which disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, including children and the elderly, as well as immunocompromised individuals like patients with diabetes and cancers, among others.

“The new antibiotic, developed by Wockhardt with support from the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), is ten times more effective than current options and offers a safer, faster, and more tolerable solution for patients,” the press release said.

Nafithromycin targets both typical and atypical pathogens, offering a potent solution where no new antibiotic in this class has been developed worldwide for over three decades.