Hyderabad-based Dr Reddy’s Laboratory announced the industrial launch of the anti-Covid-19 drug, 2-Deoxy-D-Glucose (2-DG) for hospitalized moderate to extreme Covid-19 patients. The anti-Covid therapeutic application of 2-DG has been jointly created by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), and Dr Reddy’s Laboratories.
The drug will be supplied to each Government and private Covid-19 well being facilities across India. “ The drugs initially will be accessible at hospitals across metros and Tier 1 cities and in later course expand coverage to rest of the nation, stated a organization statement.
The drug, 2-DB will be sold commercially beneath the brands 2DGTM. The organization claims that the drug has a purity of 99.5 %. The drug that received the nod of the Drug Controller General of India’s on May 1, 2021, can be administered only upon prescription to hospitalised moderate to extreme Covid-19 patients as an extra therapy to the current care, beneath the supervision of a certified doctor.
Each sachet of 2-DG has been fixed at Rs 990 per sachet. The government institutions will get at a subsidized price.
Satish Reddy, Chairman, Dr. Reddy’s in the official statement stated that 2-DG is yet another addition to the company’s current COVID-19 therapy portfolio for mild to moderate and extreme situations and contains a vaccine. Dr Reddy’s has signed an agreement to distribute Russia’s Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V in partnership with Snowman Logistics. The Defense Minister, Rajnath Singh had earlier announced that he would personally honour the scientists who played a important part in the development of the drug as they deserve credit for this achievement.
How 2-DG operates
2-DG, made of the generic molecule along with an analogue of glucose, accumulates in the virus-infected cells of the body and prevents the invasion of the virus from one cell to yet another. Viral synthesis and power production of the virus is reduce brief stopping it to develop more rapidly assisting Covid patients to no longer rely on supplemental oxygen and recover more rapidly.
Initial trials for the drug have been performed among May and October last year at 110 patients at six hospitals. The final phase of the clinical trials was concluded in March 2021 on 220 patients at 27 Covid hospitals. The information from the 2-DG trials recommended the drug usage was protected and Covid-19 patients showed substantial recovery.