Easy to produce, easier to consume: DRDO's 2-DG drug for treatment of Covid patients | FAQs
The DCGI has granted emergency use approval to DRDO's 2-DG drug for treatment in moderate to severe cases of Covid-19. Here are answers to all your questions about the drug.
In Short
- DCGI granted emergency use approval to DRDO's 2-DG drug on Saturday
- 2-DG helps in faster recovery of hospitalized patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence
- Phase-III trials for 2-DG drug were conducted at 27 Covid hospitals across the country
With the country battling the second wave of Covid-19 infections, The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on Saturday approved a drug developed by the DRDO for emergency use. The drug - 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) - has been approved as an adjunct therapy in moderate to severe cases of coronavirus.
"Clinical trial results have shown that this molecule helps in faster recovery of hospitalized patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence," an official of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) was quoted as saying.
In April of this year, the DCGI granted emergency approval to a similar drug produced by pharma giant Zydus Cadila. The drug - Virafin - was shown to reduce the need for oxygen support among moderate cases of Covid-19, along with improving recovery time.
Here are answers to all your questions about the 2-DG drug.
Who developed 2-DG?
The drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) has been developed by DRDO's Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) in collaboration with Hyderabad-based Dr Reddy's Laboritories.
What do we know about clinical trials for 2-DG?
Phase-II trials for the 2-DG drug were conducted between May and October of last year. Six hospitals were part of the Phase-II (a) trials and 11 hospitals were part of the Phase-II (b) trials to determine dose range.
A total of 110 patients were part of the Phase-II clinical trials of this drug. In terms of improvement in vital signs of symptomatic patients who were administered the drug, a difference of 2.5 days was seen compared to Standard of Care (SoC).
Approval for Phase-III trials was given in November of last year. These trials were conducted at 27 Covid hospitals in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Data pertaining to these trials showed reduced dependence on oxygen among moderate cases of Covid-19, even in patients aged 65 and above.
How does 2-DG work?
According to the official statement, "clinical trial results have shown that this molecule helps in faster recovery of hospitalised patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence."
"Higher proportion of patients treated with 2-DG showed RT-PCR negative conversion in COVID patients. The drug will be of immense benefit to the people suffering from Covid-19," the statement goes on to say.
How can 2-DG be consumed?
The 2-DG drug, which comes in powder form in sachets, has to be taken orally by dissolving it in water.
"It accumulates in the virus infected cells and prevents virus growth by stopping viral synthesis and energy production," said the official statement by the Government of India.
Will 2-DG have a significant impact?
The DRDO says that the 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) drug can easily be produced and made available in plenty in the country since it is a generic molecule and analogue of glucose.