Dr Reddy’s Laboratories on Monday announced the commercial launch of the anti-Covid drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), developed in collaboration with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). “2-DG has a purity of 99.5 per cent and is being sold commercially under the brand name 2DG™️. The maximum retail price of each packet has been fixed at Rs 990, with a subsidised rate offered to government institutions,” the company said in a release.

2-DG is developed by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), a laboratory of DRDO, in collaboration with Dr Reddy’s. The drug has been granted emergency use approval for anti-Covid-19 therapeutic application on May 1. “It can be administered only upon prescription and under the supervision of a qualified physician to hospitalised moderate to severe Covid-19 patients as an adjunct therapy to the existing standard of care,” the company said.

“2-DG is yet another addition to our Covid-19 portfolio that already covers the full spectrum of mild to moderate and severe conditions and includes a vaccine. We are extremely pleased to have partnered with DRDO in our collective fight against the Coronavirus pandemic,” Dr Reddy’s Chairman Satish Reddy said on the launch of the drug.