Has DRDO made the anti-covid drug 2DG on Patanjali’s Balakrishna Research paper….

The recent-launched anti-covid drug 2DG has been prepared by Defence Research and Development organization, a research wing of Defence Ministry.

Along with COVISHIELD and COVAXIN, India has three medicines available this time against COVID19. The recent-launched anti-covid drug 2DG has been prepared by Defence Research and Development organization, a research wing of Defence Ministry. The anti covid drug was launched by the union Health Minister Dr Harshvardhan. However, the research for the anti-covid drug 2DG is being questioned on social media. A senior journalist Awesh Tiwari has claimed that the research paper of anti-covid drug was prepared by Balakrishna of Patanjali. However, we, at medlarge, do not authenticate his claim.

Awesh Tiwari says that anti Covid drug 2DG is the result of Balakrishna and Patanjali’s organizational research. He says that  Balakrishna and other Ayurvedic Doctors at Patanjali researched extensively for this anti covid drug medicine titled ‘Glucose antimetabolite 2-Deoxy-D-Glucose and its derivative as promising candidates for tackling COVID-19: Insights derived from in silico docking and molecular simulations’

Research Paper has no evidence of Human Trial

Awesh Tiwari claims that only one member from DRDO with name Rakesh Sharma was the part of the research team for this drug. Even, no trail was executed under his observation and he is no longer the member of DRDO. The research paper that was published in March 2020 says that this drug was given approval only on the basis of Silico Trial – trail on Machine. The drug never went through the human and animals trial.

Admission of Research Paper with Patanjali

Ex official of DRDO Rakesh Sharma has admitted in an interview given to the Statesman newspaper on 14 May that the trial of this drug was done in his own institute. He has admitted that before the trial, Patanjali Ayurved’s own institution and Jain Vishwa Bharati Institute submitted the paper in March 2020. Rakesh Sharma claims that he is one of the inventors of this drug, the technology of this drug was transferred to Dr. Reddy Lab in 2004. He has also said that the patent for this drug was also registered on 28 February 2003.  Such claims make it clear that this is not the new drug meant for covid19, as claims the journalist.

Experts say that the use of the drug among the public is not good on the basis of any research paper without peer review, whether the drug has been adequately tested or not is yet to be decided. In this entire episode, Dr. Reddy Lab’s name also comes as a surprise. Significantly, Sputnik Vaccine (Sputnik Light) is also to be manufactured in India by Dr. Reddy.