DRL launches Drdo-tested Covid drug at ~990 per sachet
Dr Reddy's Laboratories (DRL) commercially launched 2-deoxy-d-glucose (2-DG), a drug used for treating Coronavirus (Covid-19) patients, priced at ~990 per sachet. The company said on Monday that it would supply the drug to major government as well as private hospitals across India.
“In the initial weeks, the company will make the drug available in hospitals across metros and tier-1 cities, and subsequently expand coverage to the rest of India. 2-DG, manufactured by Dr. Reddy’s, has a purity of 99.5 per cent and is being sold commercially under the brand name 2DGTM,” DRL said.
The maximum retail price is ~990 per sachet, which will be supplied at subsidised rates to government institutions, the company added.
2-DG was developed by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences (INMAS), a laboratory of the
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in collaboration with Dr Reddy’s.
2-DG is an oral drug. It can be administered only upon prescription and under the supervision of a qualified physician to hospitalised, moderate to severe Covid-19 patients as an adjunct therapy to the existing standard of care.
Emergency use approval for anti-covid therapeutic
application of the drug was granted on May 1.
G Satheesh Reddy, secretary, Department of Defence (R&D) and chairman of DRDO said: “We are pleased to have worked closely with Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Hyderabad, for testing 2-DG as therapeutic application in treatment of Covid-19 patients. DRDO has been contributing in the fight against Covid-19 with its spin off technologies.”