The first batch of anti-COVID drug 2-DG, developed by the DRDO was released on Monday by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Health Minister Harsh Vardhan.
The drug will be the “first indigenous research-based outcome” to fight the virus, and will “reduce recovery time and oxygen dependency” in the country, Vardhan said at the launch.
The approval comes as India continues to grapple with a continuous surge in a deadly second wave. The healthcare system has stretched and there are huge gaps in the supply and demand of medical oxygen.
The Drugs Controller General of India (DGCI) earlier this month approved the oral drug for emergency use as an adjunct therapy in moderate to severe coronavirus patients.
The clinical trials of the drug, 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) showed that it hastens the recovery process and supplemental oxygen dependence, the health ministry said.