D-Glucose
| Evidence Level: L5 | Predicted Indications: 10 |
Table of Contents
- D-Glucose
- D-glucose: From Intravenous Fluid and Energy Supplementation to Non-syndromic Esophageal Malformation
D-glucose: From Intravenous Fluid and Energy Supplementation to Non-syndromic Esophageal Malformation
One-Sentence Summary
D-glucose (dextrose) is a widely used intravenous fluid and carbohydrate source, and no specific approved indication text is recorded in the Singapore licence data compiled for this report. The TxGNN model predicts it may be effective for non-syndromic esophageal malformation, but there are 0 clinical trials and 0 publications supporting this prediction. The prediction is model-derived only and has no plausible therapeutic rationale.
Quick Overview
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Original Indication | Not stated in the licence data (the products are intravenous glucose/dextrose infusions and injections) |
| Predicted New Indication | Non-syndromic esophageal malformation |
| TxGNN Prediction Score | 84.11% |
| Evidence Level | L5 |
| Singapore Market Status | ✓ Marketed |
| Number of Registrations | 20 |
| Recommended Decision | Hold |
Why is This Prediction Reasonable?
Currently, detailed mechanism of action data is not available. Based on known information, D-glucose is a basic carbohydrate used in intravenous fluids, either alone or together with sodium chloride. Its established role is to supply fluid and energy.
Esophageal malformations are structural developmental defects. Supplying glucose cannot correct an anatomical abnormality, and the data compiled for this report identify no mechanistic link. The high model score (0.84, rank 39,795) is not backed by trials or literature, so it should be treated as a computational signal only.
The other top-ranked predictions look similar. Several were checked:
- Open-angle glaucoma: the literature describes disrupted glucose metabolism in the disease. These are associative findings, not evidence that giving glucose helps.
- Esophageal disease: the apparent signal is a diagnostic artifact. Most papers concern FDG-PET imaging, which uses a glucose analogue as a radiotracer, not D-glucose as a treatment.
- Vitamin deficiency disorder: the papers describe how vitamin D status affects glucose metabolism, the reverse of the proposed direction.
- Dermatitis: the relevant paper concerns 2-deoxy-D-glucose, a glycolysis inhibitor, which hints that blocking glucose metabolism may help rather than supplying it.
- Other predictions (primary hereditary glaucoma, biotin metabolic disease, neonatal dermatomyositis, acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans, familial hydroa vacciniforme): no trials, no relevant literature, and no plausible mechanism.
Clinical Trial Evidence
Currently no related clinical trials registered for non-syndromic esophageal malformation.
For reference, three trials were retrieved for the lower-ranked prediction "esophageal disease". None tests D-glucose as a therapy:
| Trial Number | Phase | Status | Enrollment | Key Findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT07118176 | Phase 1 | Active, not recruiting | 30 | PET imaging of 68Ga-FAPI-46 biodistribution in cancer patients |
| NCT01129206 | Phase 2 | Completed | 6 | Pralatrexate plus docetaxel in advanced esophageal carcinoma after platinum failure |
| NCT05775939 | N/A | Recruiting | 20 | PET functional imaging of cardiac radiation damage in lung or esophageal cancer |
Literature Evidence
Currently no related literature available for non-syndromic esophageal malformation.
For reference, the most relevant papers retrieved for the other predictions are listed below. All are indirect, and none shows a therapeutic benefit of D-glucose.
| PMID | Year | Type | Journal | Key Findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41034373 | 2025 | Cohort/Metabolomic | Scientific Reports | Dysregulated glycolytic flux and TCA cycle stalling in plasma of primary open-angle glaucoma patients |
| 38355836 | 2024 | Observational | Scientific Reports | Altered lactate balance in glaucoma, possibly raising retinal glucose and glutamate |
| 31991554 | 2020 | Preclinical (animal) | Biomedicines | 2-deoxy-D-glucose (a glycolysis inhibitor) ameliorated animal models of dermatitis |
| 26271140 | 2015 | Review/Preclinical | Metabolism | Inhibiting tumour energy pathways in esophageal cancer, including the glucose analogue 2-deoxy-D-glucose |
| 25172205 | 2015 | Review | Clinical Radiology | FDG-PET/CT and MRI in oesophageal cancer imaging |
| 18187309 | 2008 | Review | Nutrition | Links between vitamin D deficiency and abnormal glucose and insulin metabolism |
Singapore Market Information
D-glucose has 20 valid licences, all single-ingredient registrations in injectable form, and none has been cancelled. The licence data contain no approved indication text. Five main authorizations are shown below.
| Authorization Number | Product Name | Dosage Form | Approved Indication |
|---|---|---|---|
| SIN10234P | Dextrose 10% in Water for Intravenous Infusion | Injection | Not stated |
| SIN06311P | Glucose Intravenous Infusion BP 5% | Injection | Not stated |
| SIN06428P | Glucose Intravenous Infusion BP 20% | Injection | Not stated |
| SIN05728P | Dextrose Injection USP 5% | Injection | Not stated |
| SIN10166P | Dextrose Injection USP 70% | Injection | Not stated |
Safety Considerations
Please refer to the package insert for safety information.
No drug-drug interactions were found in the data compiled for this report.
Conclusion and Next Steps
Decision: Hold
Rationale: The prediction rests on the model score alone (evidence level L5). There are no trials or literature for esophageal malformation, which is a structural developmental defect that glucose has no plausible way to treat. The literature signals for the other top predictions come from imaging with a glucose analogue (FDG-PET), metabolic association studies, or keyword co-occurrence, and none supports D-glucose as a therapy.
To proceed, the following is needed:
- A credible mechanistic or clinical rationale for D-glucose in the predicted indication, which is not currently identified
- Mechanism of action (MOA) data for D-glucose
- Package insert warnings and contraindications from the HSA website, so that safety screening can be completed
- Approved indication text for the Singapore licences
- Preclinical or clinical studies that test D-glucose itself, not glucose analogues or imaging tracers, in the predicted indications
Disclaimer
This content is for research purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Clinical validation is required before any clinical application.