Delhi HC allows duty free import of Amphotericin-B medicine for Black Fungus

The court allowed duty free imports can be carried out after the importers furnish a bond till the Centre takes a final decision on waiving the customs duty on it, said a Hindustan Times report.

The court said that the Centre should consider waiving the customs duty on Amphotericin-B until the medicine is in short supply in India.

"We direct if any import is made by any person, the same may be cleared by accepting the bond from the importer without actual payment of duty till a final decision on the said aspect is taken," the bench of justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh said in its order, the report stated.

"The bond shall have the undertaking that in case the import duty is not waived, the duty shall be paid by the importer," the order further said.

The judges also said that they have received assurance that all consignment of medicines of black fungus will be cleared by customs, the report added.

Senior advocate Krishnan Venugopal -told the court that there are seven manufacturers and five more have been added and more manufacturers have been asked to join the production, it said.

On Wednesday, American biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences said Wednesday that it is working on increasing the supply of Liposomal Amphotericin B injections (AmBisome) to India. The company said it will send 1 million doses of AmBisome.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently askedIndian missions across the world to get medicines for treating Black Fungus, after which they have been scouring for supply after the Prime Minister's instructions.

Shortage of Amphotericin-B is being reported across the country as cases of  Black Fungus rise. Delhi has received 3,850 vials of Amphotericin B injection till Tuesday but its weekly requirement is 30,000 doses, the HT report informed.