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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

Rajnath Singh, Harsh Vardhan
premium

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hands over to Health Minister Harsh Vardhan the newly launched anti-Covid drug 2DG, developed by DRDO, in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI)

Ajai Shukla
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