An anti-coronavirus drug developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) was formally launched on Monday. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Health Minister launched the drug by distributing around 10,000 doses to some hospitals in the national capital.
The drug, called 2-deoxy-D-glucose or 2-DG, has been developed by a DRDO lab in collaboration with the Hyderabad-based pharma giant, Dr Reddy's Laboratories. Country's top regulator, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), has approved the medicine for emergency use.
The oral drug was found to be safe for Covid-19 patients in phase 2 trials, conducted between May and October last year. It was found to be effective in cutting short the hospital stays of Covid patients and reducing their supplemental oxygen dependence.
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