DRDO-Dr Reddy’s anti-Covid drug handed over to AIIMS, likely to cut O2 dependency

The first batch of an Indian developed drug for Covid-19 patients that promises to reduce hospital stay and oxygen dependency was officially handed over to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Monday. A nationwide rollout is expected in the coming weeks.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh, who handed over the first batch of the 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) drug to health minister Harsh Vardhan, said the oxygen dependency for patients could be reduced by up to 40% with the therapy and the recovery time reduced by two-and-a-half days.

The DRDO joined hands with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories to develop the drug that has gone through a trail and approved for use in moderate to severe Covid 1-9 cases.


“2-DG drug is a new ray of hope in these challenging times… a special feature is that is in powder form and can easily be taken orally,” Singh said.