Nellore: DRDO has advised the public to use their 2DG medicine for Covid-19 treatment only under the care and prescription of doctors.
It may be recalled that the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), a lab of DRDO, in collaboration with Dr Reddy’s, Hyderabad, has developed an anti-Covid-19 therapeutic application of the drug called 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG).
Clinical trial results have shown that this molecule helps in the faster recovery of hospitalised patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence. DRDO had claimed that higher proportion of patients treated with 2-DG showed RT-PCR negative conversion in Covid patients.  
Against this backdrop, DRDO on Tuesday issued directions for the use of 2-DG in Covid patients It is to be used for emergency use as an adjunct therapy to the standard of care in the treatment of Covid patients in hospital settings. Ideally, 2DG should be prescribed as early as possible by doctors for moderate to severe Covid patients for a maximum duration of up to 10 days.
Uncontrolled diabetes, severe cardiac problem, ARDS, severe hepatic and renal impairment patients have not been studied yet with 2-DG and, hence, caution should be exercised.
2-DG should not be given to pregnant and lactating women and patients below 18 years. Patients/attendants are advised to request their hospital to contact Dr Reddy’s, Hyderabad, for medicine supply at email: 2DG@drreddys.com.
