First Batch Of DRDO-Developed Anti-COVID Drug '2-DG' Launched; Reduces Recovery Time, Oxygen Demand In Patients

The first batch of the drug developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to treat moderate to severe Covid-19 patients was launched on Monday (17 May).

Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh and Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr Harsh Vardhan jointly launched the new COVID drug 2-DG at DRDO Bhawan.

The anti-COVID-19 therapeutic application of the drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) has been developed by Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), a lab of DRDO, along with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL), Hyderabad, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

The 2-DG has been cleared by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for emergency use in the treatment of Covid-19 patients earlier last week.

It will be administered to patients as an adjunct therapy or an alternative treatment to assist the primary treatment.

A DRDO statement had earlier said that the clinical trial showed that the drug helps in faster recovery of hospitalized patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence. The patients treated with 2-DG showed faster symptomatic cure than Standard of Care (SoC) on various endpoints in the efficacy trends.