A new medicine for covid-19 patients! Know how it works

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on May 17, 2021 launched the first batch of the developed anti Covid-19 drug, 2-deoxy-D-glucose or ‘2-DG’, the drug that is fully made in india.

At present, India is the only country to launch anti Covid-19 drug, which is manufactured by Dr. Reddy’s Laboratory.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), which is national drug regulator body of India, had permitted the formulation on 1st of the May for emergency use as an adjunct therapy in moderate to severe Covid-19 patients.

Hyderabad-based Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL) in collaboration with INMAS, (The Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences) developed a 2-DG drug. Moreover, INMAS is a lab of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), New Delhi.

How it works

As per the release by the government, data retrieved from a clinical trial showed that the molecule assists the faster recovery of hospitalized patients of Covid-19. This decreases their oxygen dependence.

The drug gets accumulated in the cells that are infected by virus and arrests the growth of the virus by ceasing viral synthesis and energy production. However Its selective aggregation in virally infected cells makes this drug unique, the release said.

“The drug will be of atmost importance to the patients suffering from Covid-19,” it said.

Let’s understand this in layman’s term :

Virus grows and multiples efficiently, in presence of glucose. In other words, Glucose molecules behaves like a food for a virus to enhance it’s viability and infectivity. For instance, upon administration of this newly discovered drug, it being a glucose analogue, will mimic the bodily glucose. Virus will consume thinking it being a glucose molecule. Thus destroying its viability and reproducibility, leading to faster recovery of patients suffering from covid-19 disease.

Clinical trials

In April 2020, during the first wave of the covid-19, laboratory experiments were carried out by the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, in collaboration with scientists of INMAS-DRDO, discovered that this molecule works beneficially against SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus responsible for the Covid-19 illness, and inhibits viral development.

In May 2020, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) of the DCGI allowed phase 2 clinical trials of 2-DG in people suffering from covid-19 patients.

DRDO and its manufacturing partner, DRL, carried out phase 2 trials on 110 covid-19 patients between the months of May and October last year, the government notified. Phase 2a was regulated in six hospitals, and phase 2b (dose ranging) was conducted at 11 hospitals throughout the country.

On the basis of the success of data retrieved from phase 2 clinical trials, DCGI allowed phase 3 clinical trials in the month of November 2020. However, between December 2020 and March 2021, late-stage trials were conducted. This trial was conducted on 220 covid-19 patients admitted to 27 Covid specialized hospitals. Moreover, these hospitals were in Delhi, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka.

Trial data

Similarly, the stage 2 clinical trials were conducted to test the safety of the drug in the patients of covid-19. 2-DG was proved to be safer in Covid-19 patients and revealed remarkable improvement in their recovery, stated the government release.

Inefficacy trends, “the patients treated with 2-DG manifested rapid symptomatic cure on various endpoints than Standard of Care (SoC) ”, said the release.

“A considerably beneficial trend was observed in terms of the median time to attaining normalisation of particular vital signs parameters in contrast to SoC.”

Data from the stage 3 clinical trial indicated that in the 2-DG arm, a “remarkably greater proportion of patients improved symptomatically and became free from oxygen dependence (42% vs 31%) by Day 3. It was in contrast to SoC, showing an early relief from oxygen dependance/therapy”, said the government.

Also, a similar tendency was seen in patients aged > 65 years.

Advantages and availability of this drug

As per the government, 2-DG drug being a generic molecule and a glucose analog, It can be produced easily and can be made available in huge quantities.

Above all, this anti-Covid-19 drug is available in powder form in a sachet. It can be consumed orally after dissolving in water. The sachets are said to be sold in between the price range of Rs 500-to-Rs 600.

Read our article on how to increase oxygen level in the body?