The Hindu Business Line : Dr Reddy's to take up trials of drug for side-effects of radiation therapy

DR Reddy's Laboratories is all set to undertake, multi-centric, phase-3 clinical trials of a drug that would help relieve cancer patients of the side-effects of radiation therapy.

The drug major is investing Rs 2 crore in the initiative. It has done considerable work on upscaling the drug 2-deoxy-d-glucose, which was developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

The DRDO has transferred the technology to Dr Reddy's Labs for a fee of Rs 25 lakhs and a royalty of 5 per cent on sales for a 10-year period, according to Dr W. Selvamurthy, Chief Controller (R&D), DRDO.

Two DRDO laboratories — the Institute for Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), New Delhi, and the Defence Research Development Establishment (DRDE), Gwalior — jointly developed the potential anti-cancer drug, Dr Selvamurthy told newspersons here.

The technology transfer agreement with Dr Reddy's is on a non-exclusive basis. The patent rights would be with the DRDO, said Dr Selvamurthy, who is in charge of nine national life-sciences laboratories, under the 52-lab network of the DRDO.

The new drug has got the clearance from the Drug Controller General of India (DGCI). It can help reduce the dosage of radiation to be given to the cancer patient, since it ensures that only the cancer cells are destroyed and the normal one's are protected during therapy, he said.

In cancer treatment, the side-effects of radiation or drug therapy in the form of loss of hair, appetite and so on other irritants put a major burden on affect the patient and also affect the overall impact also of the treatment line.

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