DRDO’s Covid Drug 2-DG Likely To Be Available in Market By Mid-June, Says Dr Reddy’s

New Delhi: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) launched an anti-Covid drug, named 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), which found to help speed up recovery and reduce oxygen dependence as the country battles the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. The drug has been developed jointly by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences, a lab of the DRDO, in collaboration with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, Hyderabad.

2DG is an oral anti-viral drug that can be administered only upon prescription to hospitalised moderate to severe Covid-19 patients as adjunct (add on) therapy along with existing standard of care. The Emergency use approval has been granted in India for anti-Covid-19 therapeutic application of the drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG) developed by INMAS.

Dr Reddy’s on Wednesday released a statement and said that the supply of anti-Covid drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) is expected to start in mid-June. Hyderabad based Dr Reddy’s said that the drug has not been launched in the market yet and people should be cautious of agents selling spurious or illegal products in the name of 2DG.

2-DG is an oral anti-viral drug that can be administered only upon prescription to hospitalised moderate to severe Covid-19 patients as adjunct (add on) therapy along with existing standard of care.

“Price is being determined with a view to making it accessible and affordable to as many patients as possible, and will be announced soon, the company said in the statement. Dr Reddy’s also warned of unverified messages relating to 2-DG circulating on social media and on WhatsApp.