Recently, the Drug Control Board of India (DCGI) authorised the 2-DG (deoxy-glucose) drug for emergency use to provide relief to COVID-19 patients. This drug is jointly developed by Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, DRDO ‘s Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS). 2-DG is meant for the treatment of patients who suffer from mild to moderate corona symptoms. Available in powder form, this drug should be taken with water. DRDO has now issued a statement in which in issues directions on how to use this drug for COVID-19 patients. In the statement, DRDO says that in addition to the infected cells, this drug can also prevent the virus from spreading rapidly in the body. The first batch of this DRDO-developed anti-Covid drug was launched last month to treat patients suffering from the deadly disease.
A prescription drug to be used under guidance of doctor
You must never self-medicate with this drug. It is meant to be used by doctors to treat patients they are caring for. In a statement where it gave directions for the use of 2-DG, DRDO said that, ideally, 2-DG should be prescribed as early as possible by doctors for moderate to severe Covid patients for a maximum duration of up to 10 days. Also Read – COVID-19 and Vitamin D: This nutrient may not offer protection from infection and complications
Not meant for people with some underlying health conditions
The DRDO also cautioned against the use of this drug in some patients. They say that the drug has not been studied yet on these groups of people so they need to exercise caution. Also Read – Breathlessness Among The Rare Side Effects Of Covishield: Should You Be Worried?
- Patients with underlying conditions like uncontrolled diabetes, severe cardiac problem, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), severe hepatic and renal impairment.
- It should not be given to pregnant and lactating women.
- 2-DG is also not meant for patients below 18 years of age.
Highly effective drug facilitates faster recovery
The drug could be a game-changer in the battle against the pandemic as it helps in faster recovery of hospitalized patients and reduces oxygen dependence. Clinical trial results have shown that the drug helps in the faster recovery of hospitalized patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence. A higher proportion of patients treated with 2-DG showed RT-PCR negative conversion in Covid patients. The medicine 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.
During the first wave of the pandemic in April last year, INMAS-DRDO scientists conducted laboratory experiments with the help of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, and found that this molecule works effectively against the SARS-CoV-2 virus and inhibits viral growth.
This post first appeared on The Health Site
