The oral drug 2 -deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) has received emergency use approval by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) as an adjunct therapy to treat COVID-19. The drug has been developed by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences, Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), in collaboration with a Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical. 2-DG is indicated in moderate-to-severe COVID-19 patients and can be taken orally after dissolving it in water. It can stop viral synthesis and energy production, thus preventing viral growth.
The phase IIa and IIb trials of the drug were conducted on 110 patients in 6 and 11 hospitals, respectively, between May and October 2020. The safety and efficacy results have shown that 2-DG is safe in COVID-19 patients, leading to significant improvement in patients’ recovery. The patients treated with the drug exhibited faster symptomatic…
