Oral drug 2-DG developed by DRDO to hit shelves from June
Seen as a game-changer in the battle against deadly coronavirus, the first indigenously developed oral drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose drug ( 2DG drug), which is said to help in faster recovery of virus-infected patients while reducing dependence on supplemental oxygen, was launched here on Monday.
The drug is likely to be made available in all medical settings in the country from June.
The first batch of the drug, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in collaboration with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL), was released by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan at an event at the DRDO headquarters here.
The first batch will be used in a limited manner in Central Government medical settings like AIIMS, Armed Forces Hospitals, DRDO hospitals and any other places where the need arises. The deliberations are on to decide on the price, in case it is to be sold in the open market, even as States like Haryana have shown interest to purchase the medicine.
In his brief remarks during its launch, the Union Defence Minister said the drug developed by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), a lab of DRDO, has brought a new ray of hope for the treatment of Covid-19 patients. “This is a great example of the scientific prowess of our country,” he said.
DRDO chairman Dr G Satheesh Reddy said the drug will work on all variants doing round in the country.
“Drug 2 DG will work on infected cells. So, it doesn’t know what virus it is but infected cells generally behave in a similar way of observing this material. When they observe this material, they become very inert. So, it should work for other strains also.”
He added, “The second batch of drug 2DG will be available around May 27 in a limited quantity. Regular production will be starting from the first week of June and that will be available to everyone everywhere. Based on demand we’re even telling people how to make 1 lakh sachets also.”
The Drugs Controller General of India (DGCI) had approved the drug for emergency use as an adjunct therapy in moderate to severe coronavirus patients earlier this month.
