NEW DELHI: Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) anti-Covid-19 medication is going to be marketed at Rs 990 each sachet from Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL), officials said on Friday.
The Hyderabad-based pharma firm, though, will offer the medication to Centre and state authorities at a discount.
The very first batch of DRDO’s anti-Covid-19 medication premiered on May 17 from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, following the Drugs Controller General of India allowed the emergency usage authorisation of both 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), anti inflammatory medication as an adjunct treatment for moderate to acute coronavirus patients.
Back in April last year once the pandemic broke away, scientists at Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), a laboratory of DRDO conducted lab experiments with the support of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad in cooperation with DRL and discovered this molecule functions efficiently against the SARS-CoV-2 virus also inhibits viral growth.
The 2-DG medication is sold in powder form in the sachet, and it can be taken orally by dividing in water.
It accumulates from the virus-infected cells also prevents virus development by halting viral synthesis and energy generation.
Its particular buildup in virally infected cells leaves this medication unique.
The medication apparently reduces an individual’s average healing period by 2 and a half and oxygen requirement from upto 40 percent, the Union Health Ministry stated.