New Delhi [India], May 8 (ANI): The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved the emergency use of an anti-COVID drug – 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) – as an adjunct therapy in moderate to severe COVID-19 cases.
According to Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) statement, an anti-COVID-19 therapeutic application of the drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) has been developed by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), a lab of DRDO in collaboration with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, Hyderabad.
Clinical trial results have shown that this molecule helps in 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 drug will be of immense benefit to the people suffering from Covid-19 in the ongoing pandemic, it added.
Earlier in April 2020, during the first wave of 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 viral growth.
Based on these results, DCGI– CDSCO permitted Phase-II clinical trial of 2-DG in COVID-19 patients in May 2020.
Later, the DCGI further permitted the Phase-III clinical trials in November 2020. The Phase-III clinical trial was conducted on 220 patients during Dec 2020 to March 2021 at 27 COVID hospitals situated in states of Delhi, UP, West Bengal, Gujrat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
The detailed data of phase-III clinical trial was presented to DCGI.
Its selective accumulation in virally infected cells makes this drug unique. In the ongoing second wave of pandemic, a large number of patients are facing severe oxygen dependency and need hospitalization. The drug is expected to save precious lives due to the mechanism of operation of the drug in infected cells. This also reduces the hospital stay of COVID-19 patients and burden on health infrastructure of the country, the DRDO said.
DRDO’s anti-COVID 2-DG drug effective against different variants: DRDO scientists
New Delhi [India], May 8 (ANI): The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)’s new anti-COVID drug, just approved by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) is effective against different variants of the coronavirus and helps in bringing patients out of oxygen support, said DRDO scientists.
Dr Anant Narayan Bhatt, a scientist at the DRDO‘s Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS-DRDO) while speaking to ANI said, “In the Phase 3 trials for 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), a large number of patients were tested and it was found that many patients are coming out of oxygen (support)… The mechanism of action is very Dr Sudhir Chandna, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) Project Director, DRDO (ANI).unique and as per the basics principles of this drug, it will be very effective on different variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.”
The DCGI approved the emergency use of the 2-deoxy-D-glucose earlier in the day, as an adjunct therapy in moderate to severe COVID-19 cases.
“Based on the successful phase 3 trials, the DCGI has given us emergency use authorization,” Bhatt added.
Work on the new drug started in April last year, informed Dr Sudhir Chandna, another senior scientist at INMAS-DRDO and have shown very promising results.
“In April last year, we had started very important work for the COVID-19 drug. This is a molecule called 2-deoxy-D-glucose. Testing had started last year. The first experiment was conducted in CCMB Hyderabad where the effect of the drug on the virus was studied. That showed excellent results,” Chandna told ANI.
He added that after permission from the DCGI, phase 2 clinical trials started in May 2020 till October.
“We saw very good results. COVID patients benefited from taking the medicine. After that phase 3 trials started,” he said.
In a statement, the DRDO informed that clinical trial results have shown that this molecule helps in 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 drug will be of immense benefit to the people suffering from Covid-19 in the ongoing pandemic, it added.
This comes as a promising development amid the devastating second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has brought the country’s healthcare infrastructure to its knees.
In the last 24 hours, as many India reported as many as 4,01,078 new COVID-19 cases, 3,18,609 discharges, and 4,187 deaths, as per Union Health Ministry.
The total cases now stand at 2,18,92,676, including 1,79,30,960 recoveries, 2,38,270 deaths and 37,23,446 active cases.
DRDO’s anti-COVID drug is safe, will help patients recover faster: Dr Sudhir Chandna
New Delhi [India], May 9 (ANI): Dr Sudhir Chandna, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) scientist, on Sunday said the recently approved anti-COVID drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) is completely safe and will help patients recover faster.
2-DG has been developed by INMAS, a lab of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in collaboration with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL), Hyderabad.
“During clinical trials, it has yielded an effective result in curing patients infected with COVID-19. The medicine has gone through clinical trials on around 110 patients in the second phase. In the third phase, it was tried on 220 patients. It has shown better efficacy in phase two itself as compared to the standard care,” Dr Chandna said.
“Recovery was two to three days faster for COVID-19 patients,” he added.
He pointed out that in phase 3, the freedom from oxygen dependence has been seen in 42 per cent of the patients by the third day as compared to 31 per cent in standard care.
“This data has indicated that oxygen dependence reduced in a better way when we use this medicine along with standard care,” Dr Chandna explained.
“The DRDO, along with its industry partner DRL, Hyderabad, started the clinical trials in April last year. The Phase 2 trials conducted from May to October 2020 on 110 patients.
“Based on successful results, DCGI further permitted the Phase 3 clinical trials. The Phase 3 clinical trial was conducted on 220 patients between December 2020 to March 2021,” he added.
On being asked about the price, he said: “It will depend on the production and those factors are with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories who are our industry partners. As per our information and understanding, Dr. Reddy’s is trying that it comes out in a few days.”
India has been witnessing a massive surge in coronavirus infections in the second wave. On Sunday, the country reported 4,03,738 new COVID-19 cases, as per the health ministry update on Sunday morning. (ANI)
