Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Health Minister Harsh Vardhan today launched the first batch of the DRDO-developed anti-COVID drug 2-DG. The oral drug has been authorized by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for emergency use as an alternative therapy in mild to extreme coronavirus patients, the defence ministry announced earlier this month.
The two ministers released the first batch of the medication at a function at the headquarters of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) here, according to officials. On May 8, the ministry stated that clinical trials of the drug, 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), revealed that it aids in the quicker rehabilitation of hospitalized patients and decreases the need for supplemental oxygen.
The drug’s approval comes at a time when India is dealing with a coronavirus pandemic that has strained the country’s healthcare system to its breaking point. “A significant number of patients in the current second COVID-19 wave are suffering from extreme oxygen dependency and require hospitalization. Because of the drug’s mode of action in infected cells, it is supposed to save many lives. COVID-19 patients will spend less time in the hospital as a result of this, according to the ministry.
The drug’s anti-COVID therapeutic application was developed in cooperation with Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL) in Hyderabad by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), a leading laboratory of the DRDO. According to the ministry, the drug comes in powder form in a sachet and is taken orally by dissolving it in water. On different endpoints, patients treated with 2-DG displayed a quicker symptomatic cure than patients treated with the standard of treatment (SoC), according to effectiveness patterns.
For the first time since April 21, the daily Covid-19 figures fell below the 3-lakh mark today. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare recorded 4,106 deaths and 2,81,386 new corona cases in the last 24 hours, the lowest in 25 days.
On May 12, India reported 4,205 new Covid deaths, the highest number ever, while on May 7, the country recorded 4,14,188 new cases, the highest number ever. India has a record of 2,49,65,463 Covid-19 cases, with 35,16,997 active cases and 2,74,390 deaths so far.
