Don’t try DRDO’s Covid drug in patients not approved by the WHO; health workers oppose govt’s decision

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Health workers came to the fore against the state government's decision to buy Covid drug developed by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO). DRDO developed a drug called 2-deoxy-D- glucose (2-DG).

Health workers have demanded that the drug not approved by the World Health Organization, be tested on patients. They said the test results have not been published in any of the accredited journals. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had the other day informed the decision to buy 2DG medicine.

DRDO claimed that 2-deoxy-D- glucose can reduce the severity of the disease. The drug was developed by DRDO's Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMS) in collaboration with Dr Reddy's Laboratories. This drug in powder form can be mixed with water and taken.