Anti-COVID drug DCGI approves anti-COVID drug developed by | UPSC PIB NEWS
Anti-COVID drug
DCGI approves anti-COVID drug developed by DRDO for emergency use.
An anti-COVID-19 therapeutic application of the drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) has been developed by Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) in collaboration with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL), Hyderabad.
INMAS is a lab of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
Clinical trial results have shown that this molecule helps in faster recovery of hospitalised patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence.
Higher proportion of patients treated with 2-DG showed RT-PCR negative conversion in COVID patients.
In April 2020, during the first wave of the pandemic, INMAS-DRDO scientists conducted laboratory experiments with the help of Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad and found that this molecule works effectively against SARS-CoV-2 virus and inhibits the viral growth.
Based on these results, the Drugs Controller General of India’s (DCGI) Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) permitted Phase-II clinical trials of 2-DG in COVID-19 patients in May 2020.
Based on successful results of the phase II trials, DCGI further permitted the Phase-III clinical trials in November 2020.
Based on the results of these trials, DCGI granted permission for Emergency Use of this drug as adjunct therapy in moderate to severe COVID-19 patients.
Being a generic molecule and analogue of glucose, it can be easily produced and made available in plenty in the country.
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