AMRITSAR: Farmers urge a shopkeeper to open her shop as they take part in a protest against the weekend lockdown imposed by the state government as a preventive measure against the spread of Covid-19 on Saturday. AFP
CHENNAI: India on Saturday reported its highest single-day Covid-19 death toll, as cases continued to rise and states imposed stricter lockdowns.
India’s health ministry reported 4,187 fatalities over the past 24 hours, taking the overall death toll close to 240,000. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation estimates that India will see 1 million Covid deaths by August.
Cases rose by 401,078 on Saturday, bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to 21.9m.
A higher proportion of patients treated with the drug tested negative for Covid in RT-PCR tests.
New Delhi:
A drug to treat coronavirus patients, developed by the DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation), has been approved for emergency use by the country s top drugs controller as India battles the second wave of the pandemic that is killing thousands every day.
The drug comes in powder form in a sachet and is taken orally by dissolving it in water.
A DRDO lab and Hyderabad-based Dr Reddy s Laboratories developed the anti-Covid therapeutic application of the drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG).
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) cleared the drug after clinical trial results showed that a molecule present in the drug helps in faster recovery of hospitalised patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence.
: Saturday, May 8, 2021, 4:34 PM IST
DRDO s anti-COVID-19 drug gets DCGI nod for emergency use; can help moderate to severe patients
Photo: Pexels
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage, the Drugs Controller General of India has approved an oral drug developed by the DRDO for emergency usage. The anti-COVID-19 medication can be used as adjunct therapy in moderate to severe patients. According to the Defence Ministry, the 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) drug was developed in collaboration with Hyderabad-based Dr Reddy s Laboratories.
According to officials, the 2-DG drug had been shown to help ensure faster recovery of hospitalised patients as well as reducing supplemental oxygen dependence during clinical trials. The drug accumulates in infected cells, preventing virus growth by stopping viral synthesis and energy production. The Defence Ministry contends that its selective accumulation in virally-infected cells makes this drug unique.
Daily Covid-19 deaths surged past 4,000 for the first time in India yesterday, as Europe passed the ball back to Washington in a debate over Covid vaccine patents, pushing the US for a concrete proposal and a commitment to export much-needed jabs. The call for waivers has gained momentum after the United States announced its surprise support for such a scheme to enable
Easy to produce, easier to consume: DRDO s 2-DG drug for treatment of Covid patients | FAQs
Easy to produce, easier to consume: DRDO s 2-DG drug for treatment of Covid patients | FAQs
The DCGI has granted emergency use approval to DRDO s 2-DG drug for treatment in moderate to severe cases of Covid-19. Here are answers to all your questions about the drug.
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Graphic showing how 2-DG drug reacts when used to treat SARS-CoV-2 infection (Credits: PIB)
HIGHLIGHTS
2-DG helps in faster recovery of hospitalized patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence
Phase-III trials for 2-DG drug were conducted at 27 Covid hospitals across the country