2-Deoxy-D-Glucose drug has historically been extensively tested for treating cancer but is so far an unapproved drug. The drug had been tested in trials and was given to Dr Reddy’s Laboratories in 2014 as part of a collaboration, according to Dr. Sudhir Chandna, Additional Director, INMAS, DRDO. This approach while used to starve and kill cancer cells, could in theory work in inhibiting virus cells too, that were almost entirely dependent on glycolysis for replication. The SEC, however, recommended a larger Phase-3 trial “with adequate sample size” and “clearly defined” criteria to evaluate if the drug demonstrably cured COVID. “Cancer cells depend heavily on glucose for their survival and hence by tagging them with 2DG we can restrict cancer cell growth.

Source: The Hindu May 11, 2021 17:03 UTC