LONDON: India has begun distributing a new “locally developed” drug to treat Covid-19 symptoms, reports BBC. Authorities have approved 2-DG and it is to be first used in hospitals across the capital, Delhi. The drug — 2-deoxy-D-glucose or 2-DG — has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in cooperation with pharma company Dr Reddy’s.
According to a government statement, the drug accumulates in virus-infected cells and prevents the growth of the virus by stopping viral synthesis and energy production. Its selective accumulation in virally infected cells makes this drug unique, the press release said. However, some critics are warning that there is not enough data available to back up the drug’s emergency approval as a Covid treatment.
“Clinical trial results have shown that this molecule helps in faster recovery of hospitalised patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence,” the government said in a release. But health experts say a lack published data on the drug’s performance in human trials raises questions about its efficacy.
They also point out that D2 was originally developed and tested for treating cancer but has not been approved yet even after prolonged use. With more than 24 million cases and 270,000 deaths, India is now the epicentre of the global pandemic.
The government release says the drug is to be used as adjunct therapy in moderate to severe cases. It also points out that due to its simple makeup, “it can be easily produced and made available in plenty in the country”, raising hopes that it can eventually be widely used and ease the current Covid emergency.
It is interesting to see that the media, especially Indian, is referring to the 2-DG as “local” or “homegown” development. A website — sciencedirect.com — has a research paper from November 1982 Virology journal of November 1982 that states: “An alteration in the ability to penetrate the cell surface of virus grown in the presence of 2-deoxy-d-glucose is a significant factor in the antiviral action of 2-deoxy-d-glucose.”
It is observed the 2-DG stops the growth of cancerous cells and viruses, but the research goes on, and when searched, Google churns out score of research papers on 2-DG’s potential against viruses and cancer. National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine, has hosted scores research papers on 2-DG’s anticancer, anti-viral potential.
Therefore, it’s naïve on part of media, especially Indian, to tout the 2-DG as discovery. However, employing 2-DG indicates that Indian medical authorities are thinking critically to contain the pandemic.
When the pandemic struck, various drugs — from hydroxychloroquine to remdisivir — were considered to treat patients. After hit and trial, the mainstay in treatment till-date remains steroids, symptomatic medication involving antibiotics against opportunistic infections, anti-asthmatics etc. The question, however, remains why the developed world’s medical scholarship missed 2-DG while it is already being researched for decades.
