DRDO has developed revolutionary 2-DG drug, says minister Dr K Sudhakar

 

Bengaluru: Karnataka Health Minister, Dr K Sudhakar, on Friday said that the 2-DG drug developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) could be a game-changer in the fight against Covid.

Sudhakar’s office issued a statement and quoted him saying, “The 2-DG drug developed by the DRDO is a breakthrough and could be a game-changer in the battle against pandemic as it helps in faster recovery of hospitalised patients and reduces oxygen dependence.”

The minister had visited the DRDO campus in the city where he was briefed about the ongoing efforts to find solutions to tackle the pandemic at the premier research organisation by the scientists.

The statement also stated that the 2-DG (2- deoxy-D-glucose) drug, an anti-Covid 19 therapeutic application of the drug, was developed by a lab of DRDO, the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), in collaboration with Dr Reddys Laboratories (DRL), Hyderabad.

Clinical trials have proven that the molecule helps in the faster recovery of hospitalised patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence.Covid patients treated with the 2-DG drug showed a higher rate of RT PCR negative conversion.

According to the statement, INMAS -DRDO scientists conducted laboratory experiments with the help of The Centre for Cellular (CCMB) and Molecular Biology, during the first Covid wave in April 2020. They found that this molecule world effectively against SARS -CoV-2 virus and inhibits the viral growth.

Seeing these results, the Phase-II clinical trials of the 2-DG drug was approved by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) in Covid 19 patients in May 2020.

The clinical trials to test the safety and efficacy of the drug in Covid 19 patients has started by the DRDO along with its industry partner DRL.

The statement added that according to the Phase 2 trials (including dose-ranging) conducted during May-October 2020, the drug was found safe for the Covid patients as they showed significant improvement in recovery. Phase 2 was conducted in 6 hospitals and Phase 2b (dose-ranging) clinical trial was conducted in 11 hospitals and around 110 patients were involved in the Phase 2 trial.

Dr Sudhakar added that the DRDO has found another innovative solution- the Oxycare System- which optimises the consumption of oxygen and reduces the workload and exposure of healthcare providers by eliminating the need for routine measurement and manual adjustment of oxygen flow.The minister further added that the PM CARES Fund would procure 1.5 lakh units of Oxycare system at Rs. 322.5 crore.