India announces ‘2-DG’ drug to combat coronavirus

India has announced that it has produced a new drug to treat the coronavirus titled “2-DG” which will reportedly work against various strains of the virus and halt its growth according to reports from the the Indian ANI agency and various other Indian news outlets.

Al-Watan newspaper published the most important information about the new drug, its availability, dosage and price:

1. The drug is the first drug of its kind aimed at treating COVID-19 infection.
2. Experts discussed the effectiveness of many drugs, including hydroxychloroquine, remdesivir and ivermectin, with “2-DG” being the first one described as an “anti-coronavirus drug”.
3. 2-DG works against different mutations as it stops the growth of the virus.
4. Once the growth of the virus is impeded, the body will not need a sudden and excessive demand for oxygen.
5. The medicine will be available in bags that will be stored at a temperature below 25C.
6. The drug will likely be available next week. The first batch will include 10,000 doses will be produced.
7. The Medicines Control Unit in India has allowed this drug to be used in emergency and moderate cases.
8. The drug was developed by the Institute for Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences of the Defense Research and Development Organization.
9. It is a reusable drug, as the “2-DG” molecule is intended for use in also treating tumors and cancer cells and is an analogue of glucose.
10. The virus multiplying in the body needs glucose for energy. It will thus feed on the analog glucose from the drug and stop growing.
    
11. The demand for oxygen increases with the virus multiplying rapidly in the body and once this process is stopped, patients will be able to breath easier.
    
12. The drug stops any kind of mutations because the virus will need glucose, and thus the drug will block it.
13. The price of the drug has not yet been determined, but its affordability will be taken into account.
14. This drug can be taken with water twice a day, and a coronavirus patient may have to take this drug between five and seven days until they recover completely.