Amphotericin B is an antifungal medication used for treatment of serious fungal infections and various forms of leishmaniasis like aspergillosis, blastomycosis, candidiasis, coccidioidomycosis, and cryptococcosis etc.
This agent is generally reserved for use when antimonial therapy has failed. For certain infections it is given with flucytosine. The overall use of amphotericin B for leishmaniasis is limited by toxicity of the drug and the need for prolonged intravenous therapy.
Amphotericin B has been shown to be useful as an alternative therapy for the treatment of especially mucocutaneous disease. Amphotericin B has also been used in a limited number of cases to treat primary meningoencephalitis due to free-living amebaes. Lipid micelle formulations of amphotericin B are useful because they are less toxic.
Amphotericin-B is currently being used to diagnose 'black fungus'. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is constantly making efforts to increase domestic production keeping in view the shortage in its supply.