India’s Comptroller General of Drugs has approved an oral anti-COVID drug, developed by DRDO, for emergency use as a complementary therapy in patients with moderate to severe coronavirus, the Defense Ministry said on Saturday.
He said clinical trials of the drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) showed that it helps in faster recovery in hospitalized patients and reduces dependence on supplemental oxygen.
The drug has been developed by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), a leading laboratory of the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), in collaboration with Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories in Hyderabad.
2-DG comes as a powder in a sachet and is taken by mouth by dissolving it in water.
“On May 1, DCGI granted permission for the emergency use of this drug as add-on therapy in patients with moderate to severe COVID-19. Being a generic molecule and an analog of glucose, it can be easily produced and abundantly available in the country, ”the ministry said in a statement.
“It accumulates in virus-infected cells and prevents virus growth by stopping viral synthesis and energy production. Its selective accumulation in virus-infected cells makes this drug unique, ”the ministry said.
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