DRDO releases anti-Covid drug; reduces oxygen dependency in patients

The oral drug, 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), will be produced by Dr Reddy's Laboratories and is likely to reach hospitals in first week of June

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh released on Monday the first batch of a keenly awaited, anti-Covid-19 drug called 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG). It has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in partnership with a Hyderabad based private firm, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories.

The new drug is not a vaccination, or a preventive measure against being infected by the Covid-19 virus. Rather, the 2-DG molecule hastens the recovery of patients who are already suffering from the disease and are, in most cases, facing severe oxygen dependency. The drug is dispensed in powder form in a sachet, and taken orally after being