Camelia Bhattacharyya, Amity University Kolkata
As rightfully pointed out by Lois McMaster Bujold, “The dead cannot cry out for justice. The living must do so for them.” Philosophically looking into the sentence, this is exactly what the present situation of the COVID requires. There are several deaths of loved ones all around in India and the ones left behind are to be protected to do justice to those who have succumbed to the situation already. The brand-new drug, the drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) does absolutely that; it reduces the death risk of the patients tested positive for the presence of the coronavirus. It is a drug to assist the standard treatment and further improve the results. The drug has been recently approved by the DCGI (Drug Controller General of India) and can now be used as a treatment against coronavirus-led infection.
Making of the drug:
Now let us look scientifically into the results from the drug. The 2-DG can be used to treat all types of cases, from mild infections to complicated ones. It was originally developed by the INMAS (Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences), one of the DRDO’s (Defense Research and Development Organization) lab, in 2020. Dr. Reddy’s lab, based in Hyderabad also worked in collaboration for this project. It went through 3 stages of the trial (Table) between April 2020 to March 2021 and showed huge success, finally leading to the emergency approval of the drug.
| Phase of trial | Time period for trial | Number of hospitals involved | Number of patients involved |
| Phase 1 | April 2020 | ___ | ___ |
| Phase 2 (a and b) | May-October 2020 | 6 and 11 | 110 |
| Phase 3 | December 2020 to March 2021 | 27 | 220 |
Production and consumption of the drug:
The 2-DG is a lot similar in function to Virafin, produced by ZydusCadila, but this drug is easier to be produced and made available in bulk. The reason for such an advantage is since the drug is a generic molecule and also, an analog of sugar. The drug comes in the form of a sachet and each sachet of powder is to be mixed with a glass of water and consumed.
The expected outcome after using the drug:
The drug has been seen to assist in faster treatment of the patients. Those with a positive rtPCR report have been seen to test negative almost 2.5 days faster than those with the standard treatment. Even the most critical situations have shown massive positive results. It stops the synthesis of the virus and the production of their energy by accumulating in the cells infected by the coronavirus. This decreases the viral load. Even patients who would otherwise require a more external supply of oxygen have recovered. Most patients administered with the drug had a better oxygen saturation level than those without the drug. All these show the importance of the drug in reducing the mortality rate.
Conclusion drawn:
The 2-DG can be used by doctors to treat COVID patients with absolute positive results. This drug along with other treatments might help fight the current unstoppable rate of infection by reducing the cases, increasing the recovery rate, and also the death rate recorded every day. This might be a major gift of science in the face of the superstitious beliefs which lead to the drastic turn of events in converting the almost controlled infection to a highly feared and deadly one. So, this emergency approval might be the best movement taken by the DCGI.
Also read: Fascinating side effects of a pinch of Salt
Reference:
- https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/india/dcgi-gives-emergency-approval-to-drdo-developed-2-dg-as-adjunct-therapy-for-covid-19-patients-6868911.html
- https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/healthcare/biotech/pharmaceuticals/pfizer-in-talks-with-indian-govt-to-allow-use-of-its-covid-vaccine/videoshow/82366434.cms
- https://www.financialexpress.com/lifestyle/health/coronavirus-drdos-anti-covid-drug-2-dg-receives-dcgi-approval-for-emergency-use/2248350/
- https://www.livemint.com/news/india/dcgi-gives-approval-to-use-2-dg-as-adjunct-therapy-for-covid-19-patients-11620460544719.html
- https://www.indiatoday.in/coronavirus-outbreak/story/drdo-2dg-corona-drug-medicine-approved-emergency-use-covid-patients-how-made-consumed-1800348-2021-05-08
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