The first batch of anti-COVID-19 drug 2-DG was released today (Monday) by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Health Minister Harsh Vardhan. Developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), 2-deoxy-D-glucose is a new ray of hope for India as well as other countries fighting the pandemic.
At the launch, Minister Harsh Vardhan said that 2-DG could be India’s “first indigenous research-based outcome” to combat COVID-19, adding that it will “reduce recovery time and oxygen dependency.” In the first phase, 10,000 doses of the medicine would be handed to hospitals in the national capital of New Delhi.
The new drug was developed by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) under DRDO in collaboration with Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL), Hyderabad. The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved the 2-deoxy-D-glucose for emergency use with restrictions after clinical trials have shown that it is beneficial in patients with moderate or severe symptoms.
The Ministry of Health had earlier stated that clinical trials of the drug had shown that COVID patients admitted to the hospital could recover within a few days and have their oxygen levels restored. All the three trails performed were found to be effective in COVID-19 patients.
The drug, which comes in small packets in powder form, should be taken orally by dissolving it in water. This drug reaches the virus infected cells and inhibits the growth of the virus. As it is a generic molecule and analogue of glucose, the drug can be easily produced and widely distributed in the country as well as globally.
The final price of 2-DG drug has not yet been disclosed. In the absence of a treatment for COVID-19, 2-DG will be administered in addition with other drugs in Indian hospitals from now on to reduce the severity of the disease.
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