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DRDO's anti-Covid drug 2-DG to be available at hospitals from June

DRL to manufacture oral drug, which reduces oxygen dependency in patients

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hands over to Health Minister Harsh Vardhan the newly launched anti-Covid drug 2DG, developed by DRDO, on Monday. Photo: PTI
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Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hands over to Health Minister Harsh Vardhan the newly launched anti-Covid drug 2DG, developed by DRDO, on Monday. Photo: PTI

Ajai Shukla New Delhi
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday released the first batch of a keenly awaited anti-Covid-19 drug called 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG). It has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in partnership with Hyderabad-based private firm Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL).

The new drug is not a vaccination, or a preventive measure against being infected by coronavirus. Rather, the 2-DG molecule hastens the recovery of patients who are already suffering from the disease and are, in most cases, facing severe oxygen dependency. The drug is dispensed in powder form in a sachet, and taken orally after being dissolved in water.

Rajnath Singh