Dr Reddy’s Launches Anti-COVID Oral Drug 2-DG for Commercial Use

Emergency use approval for anti-COVID-19 therapeutic application of the oral drug was granted on 1 May 2021.

Dr Reddy's Laboratories on 28 June, Monday, announced the commercial release of its anti-COVID oral drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose, shortened as 2-DG.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/Dr Reddy's. Altered by The Quint)

Dr Reddy's Laboratories on 28 June, Monday, announced the commercial release of its anti-COVID oral drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose, shortened as 2-DG.

The drug, 2-DG, was developed by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences (INMAS), a laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in collaboration with Dr Reddy’s.

The medicine, which claims a purity of 99.5 percent, will be marketed under the brand name 2DGTM.

The drug will be supplied to the government as well as private hospitals. In the initial weeks, the company will make the drug available in hospitals across metros and tier-1 cities and subsequently expand coverage to the rest of India, as per a press release issued by Dr Reddy's.

The maximum retail price (MRP) of each sachet has been fixed at Rs 990, with a subsidized rate being offered to government institutions.

2-DG can be administered only upon prescription and under the supervision of a qualified physician. It can be given to hospitalised patients with moderate to severe COVID-19, as an adjunct therapy to the existing standard of care.

Emergency use approval for anti-COVID-19 therapeutic application of the oral drug was granted on 1 May.

“2-DG is yet another addition to our COVID-19 portfolio that already covers the full spectrum of mild to moderate and severe conditions and includes a vaccine. We are extremely pleased to have partnered with DRDO in our collective fight against the COVID-19 pandemic," Satish Reddy, chairman of Dr Reddy's, said.