DRDO Anti-COVID Drug 2DG is Now Available for Patients: Check Important Guidelines

DRDO anti-COVID drug 2DG, which will be made available to everyone in need this month, can now be administered to COVID-19 patients, the Defence Research and Development Organisation has just informed. The drug has been priced at Rs 990 per sachet by Dr Reddy’s lab. Furthermore, Government hospitals, central and state governments will be provided with the drug at a discounted price.

“The 2DG medicine can be given to Covid-19 patients under the care and prescription of doctors. Directions for usage of this drug for Covid-19 patients as per DCGI approval are attached here for reference. For all queries regarding 2DG, please write to 2DG@drreddys.com,” DRDO said. DRDO anti-COVID drug called 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) was approved by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for emergency use on COVID-19 patients in India recently.

Important Guidelines With Regard to DRDO Anti-COVID Drug 2DG

Some of the important guidelines issued by DRDO with regard to the medicine are as follows:

• The 2DG is approved for emergency use as an adjunct therapy to the standard of care in the treatment of COVID patients in hospital settings.
• Ideally, 2DG should be prescribed as early as possible by doctors for moderate to severe COVID patients for a maximum duration of up to 10 days.
• Uncontrolled diabetes severe cardiac problem ARDS severe hepatic and renal impairment patients have not been studied yet with 2DG, and hence caution should be exercised.
• 2DG should not be given to pregnant and lactating women and patients below 18 years.
• Patients and attendants are advised to request the hospital to contact Dr Reddy’s lab Hyderabad for medicine supply at email: 2DG@drreddys.com.

Benefits of DRDO Anti-COVID Drug 2DG

Some of the important benefits of the DRDO Anti-COVID Drug 2DG are as follows:

• The drug is a powder that comes in a sachet that needs to be consumed orally after dissolving it in water.
• 2DG is a generic molecule and an analog of glucose, which means it could be easily produced and be made available across the country.
• The drug works by selectively accumulating in the virus-infected cells and prevents virus growth by stopping viral synthesis and energy production.
• 2DG helps in faster recovery of hospitalised patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence, and the hospital stay of COVID-19 patients could be reduced as the drug has successfully demonstrated RT-PCR negative conversion in COVID patients.