DRDO's anti-COVID 2-DG drug an add-on, not substitute for other medicines: Dr Reddy's CEO

The DRDO's new anti-COVID drug 2DG is an add-on and not a substitute for any of the drugs that are used to treat coronavirus patients, said Deepak Sapra, the CEO of Pharmaceutical Services and API, Dr. Reddy's labs.

Speaking to ANI, Sapra said that 2DG is a molecule developed by Dr. Reddy's labs in partnership with DRDO's INMAS (Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences), and was originally developed for the treatment of cancer.

"The 2DG drug, which stands for 2 deoxy D glucose, was originally developed for the treatment of cancer and was repurposed for the treatment of Covid-19 last year. Clinical trials were conducted and it was found out that this drug can help Covid patients in moderate and severe conditions," he said.

"This 2DG drug is an add-on drug and not a substitute/replacement for any drug that is already being used in the treatment of COVID-19 patients. In a hospitalized setup, it helps in improving oxygen saturation," Sapra added.

The first batch of the anti-COVID drug was released by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union health minister Harsh Vardhan on Monday.

DRDO Chairperson Dr G Satheesh Reddy had earlier informed that the first batch of 2-DG would only be available only to AIIMS, Armed Forces Hospitals, DRDO hospitals and other places in need. It will be made available to other hospitals in June.

India on Monday reported 2,81,386 new COVID-19 cases, 3,78,741 discharges and 4,106 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per Union Health Ministry.

( With inputs from ANI )

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