DRDO’s Anti-Covid Drug Cleared For Emergency Use

India’s drugs regulator has approved the emergency use of a drug to treat Covid-19 patients. 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), in collaboration with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL), Hyderabad.

Clinical trial results have shown that a molecule present in the drug helps in faster recovery of hospitalised patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence. The drug comes in powder form and is to be mixed in water and taken orally. It accumulates in virus-infected cells and prevents viral synthesis.

During the ongoing Covid-19 surge, when a large number of patients are facing severe oxygen dependency and need hospitalization, the drug is expected to not just save lives but also reduce the hospital stay of patients.