Permission to use Covid-19 Drug 2DG (2 Deoxy – D Glucose)
Recently the Drugs Controller General of India has approved an oral drug ‘2-DG’ for the treatment of COVID- The full form of ‘2-DG’ is ‘2-Deoxy – D Glucose’.
The 2-DG drug has been developed by the Defense Research Development Organization for emergency use with the help of Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories. This drug can be launched in the market next week.
2-DG medicine
- This drug ensures rapid recovery in COVID patients who are hospitalized and during clinical trials; it will reduce the external dependence on oxygen supplementation given to the patient.
- It aggregates in cells infected with COVID and stops viral synthesis.
- The drug comes in the form of a pouch, which is dissolved in water and drunk through the mouth.
- The drug has been developed by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), a laboratory operated under DRDO.
- There is no patent right on this drug, i.e.,2-DG is a generic molecule and thus it can be easily manufactured and made available in sufficient quantity in the country.
2-DG for tumor
- Glucose is high in cancer cells. Thus, when 2-DG is injected into cancer patients, it acts as a good marker for cancer cells.
Source – PIB
