NEW DELHI — A drug to treat coronavirus patients, developed by the DRDO (Defense Research and Development Organization), has been approved for emergency use by the country's top drugs controller as India battles the second wave of the pandemic that is killing thousands every day.

The drug comes in powder form in a sachet and is taken orally by dissolving it in water. A DRDO lab and Hyderabad-based Dr. Reddy's Laboratories developed the anti-COVID therapeutic application of the drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG).

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) cleared the drug after clinical trial results showed that a molecule present in the drug helps in faster recovery of hospitalized patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence, according to a NDTV report.

A higher proportion of patients treated with the drug tested negative for COVID in RT-PCR tests.

In the second phase of trials between May and October last year, the drug was found to be safe in COVID-19 patients and showed significant improvement in their recovery.

The second round was conducted in 110 patients. While the third round of trials was conducted in six hospitals, "dose ranging" was conducted in 11 hospitals across India.

Massive international help has been pouring in as India reports shortage of essential drugs, medical oxygen and other supplies needed for COVID patients after the sudden surge in COVID-19 cases crippled the country's healthcare system.

India today recorded 4,187 coronavirus deaths, the highest daily count so far, even as more and more states imposed lockdowns in a desperate bid to halt the devastating new surge.

Meanwhile, a top scientific adviser to the Indian government warned on Wednesday the country would inevitably face further waves of the coronavirus pandemic, as almost 4,000 people died in the space of a day, according to Reuters.

The government's principal scientific adviser, K. Vijay Raghavan, warned that even after infection rates subside the country should be ready for a third wave.

"Phase 3 is inevitable, given the high levels of circulating virus," he told a news briefing. "But it is not clear on what timescale this phase 3 will occur... We should prepare for new waves."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has been widely criticized for not acting sooner to suppress the second wave, after religious festivals and political rallies drew tens of thousands of people in recent weeks and became "super spreader" events.

The Reserve Bank of India has asked banks on Wednesday to allow more time for some borrowers to repay loans, as the crisis threatens a nascent economic revival.

Two "oxygen express" trains carrying liquid oxygen arrived in the capital, New Delhi, on Wednesday, Railways Minister Piyush Goyal said on Twitter. More than 25 trains have distributed oxygen supplies nationwide.

The government says supplies are sufficient but transport woes have hindered distribution. — Agencies