DCGI approves new anti-Covid drug developed by DRDO for emergency use May 08, 2021 In 2-DG arm, indications of early relief from Oxygen therapy/dependence A new drug developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in association with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd has been approved for emergency use in the treatment of Covid-19 patients by the Drug Control General of India (DCGI). An anti-Covid-19 therapeutic application of the drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) has been developed by Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), a lab of DRDO, in collaboration with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, Hyderabad. “Clinical trial results have shown that this molecule helps in faster recovery of hospitalised patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence. Higher proportion of patients treated with 2-DG showed RT-PCR negative conversion in Covid patients. The drug will be of immense benefit to the people suffering from Covid-19 in the ongoing pandemic,” DRDO said in a release.