Will examine data of 2-DG drug for adding it to national COVID treatment protocol: Govt

The government will consider including India's first indigenous anti-COVID drug 2-DG in the national COVID-19 treatment protocol after examining the data of the medicine, officials said Tuesday.

At a press conference, NITI Aayog member (health) Dr V K Paul said the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has granted permission for emergency use of the drug after looking at the data.

The drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose has been developed by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), a lab of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), along with Dr Reddy's Laboratories (DRL), Hyderabad.

In response to a question, Paul said, "We will examine in COVID-19 National Task Force meeting for adding the drug in the national treatment protocol."

The first batch of the adjunct COVID therapy anti-COVID drug was released by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and handed over to Health Minister Harsh Vardhan here on Monday.

One box each of the sachets of the drug was handed over to Delhi AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria and Lt Gen Sunil Kant of Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS).

More will be handed over to different hospitals across the country for emergency use.

Vardhan termed 2-DG an important development by DRDO and DRL that will reduce the recovery time and oxygen dependency in COVID-19 patients.