Hummingbird News Desk
NEW DELHI, 17 MAY: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Health Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan on Monday 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 Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), along with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL), Hyderabad.
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 COVID patients. The drug will be of immense benefit to the people suffering from COVID-19.
Speaking at the launch Dr Vardhan remarked that today is a historic day in our fight against COVID and congratulated the scientific community and DRDO for their patience and perseverance for developing first indigenous medicine.
He said that the drug has the potential to become a game changer in our response against COVID pandemic as it reduces the dependence of patients on oxygen administration and has the potential of getting absorbed differentially and in a selected manner. In the COVID infected cells, it inhibits virus synthesis and energy production for the process.
Dr Vardhan further stated that around thirty hospitals were involved in the clinical trials of this drug. He said that the drug will go to the selective cells and prevent synthesis of virus and reduce recovery time.
Pursuing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for preparedness against the pandemic, DRDO took the initiative of developing anti-COVID therapeutic application of 2-DG. In April 2020, during the first wave of the pandemic, INMAS-DRDO scientists conducted laboratory experiments with the help of Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad and found that this molecule works effectively against SARS-CoV-2 virus and inhibits the viral growth.
Based on these results, Drugs Controller General of India’s (DCGI) Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) permitted Phase-II clinical trial of 2-DG in COVID-19 patients in May 2020.
Secretary Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr G Satheesh Reddy expressed confidence that the anti-COVID drug will help the patients recover from the deadly virus, hoping that DRL, Hyderabad will take it forward and soon make the drug available for the patients.
Joining the event virtually, Chairman, DRL Kallam Satish Reddy said, “Dr. Reddy’s is glad to have partnered with DRDO and INMAS in the development of 2-DG. This is a re-affirmation of our company’s efforts to address COVID through a host of therapeutics and vaccine.”
Tags: #DRDO #COVID #DCGI #IndiaFightsCorona #Unite2FightCorona #IDU #teamIDU #2DG
