HYDERABAD: Contrary to promises that the indigenously developed Covid-19 drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) would be priced affordably to ensure it reaches as many patients as possible, the wonder drug has been priced at a steep Rs 990 per sachet.
The drug was developed by scientists at Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), a Defence Research & Defence Organisation lab, and is being commercialised by pharma major Dr Reddy’s Laboratories.
What makes the pricing a surprise is that Dr Reddy’s Laboratories had, last month, issued a statement that the pricing of the drug was “being determined with a view to making it accessible and affordable to as many patients as possible”.
INMAS-DRDO had also said that being a generic molecule and an analogue of (similar to) glucose, 2-DG can be easily produced and made available in plenty in the country.
The pricing of 2-DG was announced by a top Dr Reddy’s Labs at an interactive session organised by Telangana’s apex trade and industry body Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FTCCI) on Tuesday.
While announcing the price tag, Deepak Sapra, CEO, API & Services, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, said: “The goal at Dr Reddy’s is to maximise production and make it accessible as much as possible to patients all over the country in as short a time-frame as possible.” Sapra said that the months of June and July were extremely important for ramp-up of 2-DG production and ensure it reaches the last mile and ensure that every patient that needs it has access to it.
He did not mention any production quantum details.
The drug comes in a powder form in a sachet and has to be taken orally by dissolving it in water.
It works by accumulating in the virus infected cells and prevents growth of the virus by stopping viral synthesis and energy production.
It is an inhibitor of glucose transport and glycolysis and was originally being developed for cancer as it cuts the supply of glucose molecules to cancer cells, which require higher glucose than normal cells to survive, thereby killing them.
DRDO had said clinical trials conducted on Covid-19 patients had showed that 2-DG helped in faster recovery of hospitalised patients and reduced their dependence on supplemental oxygen.