All You Need To Know 2DG, Anti-COVID-19 Oral Drug By DRDO

2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG) is an anti-COVID-19 oral d­rug that claims to help ensure faster recovery and lowers oxygen dependence.

On May 1, the Drugs Controller General of India approved 2DG for emergency use to treat COVID-19. The first batch of 10,000 doses of the drug was released on May 17 by Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

According to government sources, the government is considering allowing 3 to 4 more firms to produce the drug as the demand for it is high.

All You Need To Know The Oral Drug 2DG

1. 2DG was developed by the Defense Research and Development Organisation's (DRDO) lab Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) in collaboration with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories. The drug stops the growth of the virus by stopping viral synthesis and energy production. A virus that multiplies quickly requires glucose, by stopping energy production the drug stops the virus from multiplying.
2. 2DG comes in a powdered form which is taken orally by dissolving in water. INMAS scientist Dr Sudhir Chanda in a statement said that the drug can be taken twice a day, and a COVID-19 positive person may need to take the drug for 5 to 7 days to be completely cured.
3. Manufacturer Dr Reddy’s Laboratories in its public statement said that the price of the drug is being determined and will be launched commercially in mid-June. Currently, it can only be administered upon prescription for hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
4. Director of INMAS Dr Anil Mishra, according to a media report, said that the drug will work on the other variants of COVID-19, as it is supposed to stop any variant as a multiplying virus.
5. Clinical trials for the drug showed that it helps hospitalized patients recover and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence. Trials for 2DG began in April 2020, INMAS scientists conducted experiments with the assistance of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad.
6. It was observed that the 2DG molecule inhibits viral growth and works against the coronavirus. Phase II trials for the drug were permitted by the Drugs Controller and Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation. The trials were carried out from May to October 2020.
7. Phase III trials took place from December 2020 to April 2021 and 270 patients from various states were involved in the trials.