Thread by @drabbyphilips

1
Im quoted in report on #2DG, drug by #DRDO, marketd by #DRreddys 4 #CovidIndia. Issues R well highlightd by @neutranino in @the_hindu 'Repurposed' use is questionable
This 'approval' doesnt bring ray of hope, but doubts on drug regulation in #india
A🧵
thehindu.com/news/national/…

2
#2deoxy2glucose is basically glucose molecule in wich 2-hydroxyl group replaced by hydrogen, so that it cannot undergo further glycolysis (which is the metabolic pathway that converts glucose to pyruvate and a hydrogen ion, during which, the free energy released in process...

3...is used to form high-energy molecules such as ATP or NADH that helps in various cell functions). So basically, by using 2DG, the normal glycolysis doesnt happen and cell functions get blocked. This is the reason it is used for cancers
Cancer cells depend heavily on glucose...

4...for their survival, hence by tagging them wit 2DG we can restrict cancer cell growth. Similarly it can also affect high glucose utilizing normal cells like brain cells (neurons) & cause brain related side effects
BUT 2DG is also similar in structure 2 anothr sugar molecule...

5...called mannose and can also inhibit cell process in animals that utilize mannose - this can cause cell damage and other systemic effects [due to a molecular level damaging effect called ER stress and Unfolded Protein Response (UPR)]
These can cause systemic toxicity wit 2DG.

6
Now this study on 2DG in #CovidIndia, is not published and has no preprint available.
So from a scientific standpoint, the reasons for clearing this drug for use in humans and especially #COVID19 is as good as hearsay...
#MedTwitter #media #health

7
Its responsibility and the scientific ethics [honesty and integrity in all stages of scientific practice of those who performed this study] to showcase proper methodology, results and thus conclusions reached. This is absent in this sudden approval of a molecule, which has...

8...not been validated 4 use in any human clinical condition 2 date
Leaving aside efficacy, safety profile of this drug is still questionable
A clinical trial showed 2-DG canB tolerated 63 mg/kg/day, but heart side-effects were observed at this dose...
link.springer.com/article/10.100…

9...and casted doubt on feasibility of this drug for further clinical use in cancer patients
No quality clinical trials in any other disease with good sample size and safety assessments have been performed
In the current study by DRDO, the sample size as mentioned in the CTRI...

10...may not be ideal for assessing safety profile along with efficacy. Directly clearing this drug for emergency use may lead to treating doctors seeing a variety of side effects in Covid patients ranging from brain strokes to heart attacks - which R already dangerous events...

11...associated wit #Covid per say & doctors wilB highly confused weter it was #2DG or the virus that caused it
Hence gr8 need 4 properly done, scientifically rigorous, peer reviewed study which is currently unavailable in published literature or in #Covid for use in humans

End