Covid 2-DG cure rolled out

New Delhi: The first batch of anti-Covid oral drug 2-DG, developed by the DRDO, was rolled out on Monday as a severe wave of the coronavirus pandemic continued to ravage large parts of India.

Releasing the drug along with Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) has brought a "new ray of hope" in the treatment of Covid-19 patients and exuded confidence that it would be effective.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DGCI) approved 2-DG for emergency use as an adjunct therapy in moderate to severe coronavirus patients earlier this month. "This is a great example of the scientific prowess of our country," Singh said in his brief remarks.

"I was told that by using it (2-DG), people have recovered two-and-a-half days earlier than the usual treatment period. Oxygen dependency has also been reduced by about 40 per cent in the patients. Its powder form is also a major feature as people will be able to use it very easily like the ORS solution," Singh said.

Urging all the institutions concerned to walk shoulder to shoulder, he said the country will come out victorious in facing any crisis if everyone works unitedly.

The approval of the drug has come at a time when India is grappling with a record-breaking wave of the coronavirus pandemic that has stretched the country's healthcare infrastructure to its limit.