The 2-deoxy-D-glucose drug, the first such medicine in India meant to treat Covid-19 infections, is likely to be available from the coming week, news agency ANI reported. In the first batch, 10,000 doses of this medicine will be launched. In the last year, medical experts deliberated on the effectiveness of several drugs including Hydroxychloroquine, Remdesivir, Ivermectin. But 2-DG is the first one to be termed as an anti-Covid drug. The apex drug controller of the country has allowed this drug for emergency use among Covid-19 patients.
Manufacturers: The drug has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation's laboratory Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences. Hyderabad-based Dr Reddy's Laboratories has been a partner and it is manufacturing the drug for public use.
How will the drug work?
The drug is a repurposed drug as the 2-DG molecule is meant for treating tumour, cancer cells. This is a glucose analogue, which looks like glucose but is not. A virus that is multiplying fast in the body needs glucose for energy. Thus, the virus will take this glucose analogue and will get arrested. The drug will then stop the virus from multiplying.
How will it treat Covid-19 patients with oxygen level dropping?
Director of the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences, Dr. Anil Mishra, has explained in an interview to All India Radio that the oxygen demand increases as the virus is multiplying fast in the body. Once that process is stopped, the oxygen crisis will also be addressed.
Will this drug work on variants of the virus?
Dr. Mishra has said that the way the drug functions is supposed to arrest any variant as a multiplying virus, irrespective of variant, will need food and thus will get trapped by the drug.
How 2-DG controls COVID-19?
The DRDO-developed 2 DG drug spreads through the body like glucose. It reaches the virus-infected cells and prevents virus growth by stopping viral synthesis and destroys the protein's energy production. The drug also works on virus infection spread into lungs, which helps decrease patient's dependability on oxygen.
How can 2-DG be consumed?
The anti-COVID drug 2-DG has been developed in powder form and is ingested orally by dissolving it in water. As per Dr Sudhir Chandna, DRDO Project Director and Scientist of 2-DG, it can be consumed twice a day. A patient may have to take this drug twice a day for about five to seven days. However, it should be consumed only on the advice of a doctor.
What's the price of 2-DG?
The final price of 2-DG has not been finalised as yet. It will be determined by the DRDO partner Dr Reddy's, which is manufacturing the medicine. It is, however, believed to be a cheap drug.
Where does the drug fit in?
The drug has been launched at a time when the country is battling a devastating second wave of Covid infections that has triggered a race for medical oxygen and hospital beds in most parts of the country. In this situation, a drug found to expedite recovery and reduce oxygen dependence would ensure better availability of beds for patients requiring critical care. At the same time, it would prevent the rampant black marketing of oxygen equipment that has started in the wake of the crisis.
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Useful info, thanks
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