DRDO-developed oral medicine 2-DG approved for treatment of Covid patients

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The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has given emergency use approval   for an anti-Covid oral medicine developed by the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) to treat patients infected by the coronavirus, according to a report in Hindustan Times.</p>
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The oral drug developed by Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences, a lab of DRDO, in collaboration with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, Hyderabad has cleared the phase 3 trials to test the safety and efficacy of the drug in COVID-19 patients.</p>
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The Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (Inmas), which is a DRDO laboratory, developed an anti-Covid-19 therapeutic application of the drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) in collaboration with Hyderabad-based private sector company Dr Reddy’s Laboratories. </p>
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The third phase of the clinical trial results have shown that this molecule helps in faster recovery of hospitalised patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence. Higher proportion of patients treated with 2-DG showed RT-PCR negative conversion in patients infected with coronavirus in the trials, the Hindustan Times report said. </p>
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The DRDO had launched the initiative of developing anti-Covid therapeutic application of 2-DG in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for preparedness against the deadly pandemic</p>
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In April 2020, when the first wave of pandemic struck India, scientists at DRDO's laboratory, Inmas, conducted experiments with the help of Hyderabad-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) and found that this molecule works effectively against SARS-CoV-2 virus and inhibits the viral growth.</p>
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Based on these results, Drugs Controller General of India’s (DCGI) Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) permitted Phase-II clinical trial of 2-DG in Covid-19 patients in May 2020.</p>