[비즈헬스] “Easily prevent corona”… Hanmi Pharm vs. Daewoong Pharm develops respiratory blocker and pill-type oral drug for nose

[비즈월드] With the 1st anniversary of the corona 19 outbreak in Korea, domestic pharmaceutical companies are attracting attention by developing various types of simple corona 19 virus prevention drugs.

First, in December of last year, Hanmi Pharm developed the’Hanmi Cold Mask Nasal Spray,’ a spray-type respiratory virus blocking agent sprayed on the nose.

When a Hanmi cold mask made with a component of’lambdacarrageenan’ extracted from natural red algae is sprayed on the nose, a physical film is formed in the nasal cavity and can block the invasion of various infectious viruses through the respiratory tract.

This is the principle that lambdacarrageenan, a negatively charged (-) polymer polysaccharide component, combines with the positively charged (+) portion of respiratory viruses to form a physical film.

A fissure development result that proves this was also released. On the 13th, Hanmi Pharmaceutical announced that the results of a study that the main ingredient of’Hanmi Cold Mask Nasal Spray’ effectively blocks COVID-19 virus, etc. have been registered in international journals.

Scientific Reports, an SCI-level international academic journal published by Nature, was conducted by the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology with the support of the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Communication.’In vitro cell experiment evaluating the antiviral activity of lambdacarrageenan ingredients’ The result is that the paper was published on the 12th.

According to the paper, the researchers used’EC50′ (50% effective as an index to evaluate the antiviral activity of lambdacarrageenan against the corona 19-causing virus (SARS-CoV-2) and influenza viruses A and B, which are the main causes of pandemic flu. Concentration) and’SI’ (Selectivity Index) were used.

First, in the SARS-CoV-2 virus test conducted in Vero cells, the EC50 value indicating antiviral activity was 0.9±1.1 g/ml of lambdacarrageenan, 14.1±0.7 g/ml (23.5±1.2 M) of remdesivir. , It was confirmed that lambdacarrageenan exhibits more than 15 times superior activity.

In addition, in influenza A and B virus tests conducted in MDCK cells, lambdacarrageenan showed similar or superior antiviral activity to previously known chemicals.

In addition, it was confirmed that lambdacarrageenan showed excellent results in SI, which shows safety versus efficacy, as well as its efficacy and safety. SI is an index showing the ratio of antiviral activity to cytotoxicity, and the higher the value, the more effective and safe ingredients are evaluated.

An official from Hanmi Pharm, who participated in this study, said, “In the pandemic situation where Corona 19 is spreading, personal quarantine is emphasized above all.” “Hanmi cold mask nasal spray can effectively block virus penetration through the nose, so it is combined with KF94 mask. If used, it will be an effective personal defense tool.”

On the other hand, Daewoong Pharmaceutical announced on the 25th that it has developed’Hoy Star Tablet’, the first oral drug to prevent Corona 19.

On the 22nd, it was approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for a phase 3 clinical trial for the prevention of COVID-19 of’Hoy Star Tablet (ingredient name: camostat mesylate)’.

This clinical trial is a large-scale phase 3 clinical trial that confirms the effects of Hoystar in preventing COVID-19 infection in self-containment patients exposed to the COVID-19 virus. It is held at hospitals and Asan Hospital (in alphabetical order), and is scheduled to start administration in February.

Hoystar tablet is a drug that has a mechanism to inhibit the proliferation of viruses and improve inflammation by blocking the entry of the virus into the human body into the cells.It has been prescribed to patients for more than 10 years in Korea, and its safety has been proven and can be taken as an oral formulation. The company explained that it has the advantage of being convenient.

In addition, when considering the mechanism of action that blocks the entry of the virus by inhibiting the activity of the protease (TMPRSS2) necessary for the entry of the virus into the cell, he stressed that it has the advantage of being able to respond regardless of the virus mutation, which is a recent issue.

With this mechanism of action, Hoystar is expected to be able to expect an infection prevention effect to close contacts, self-quarantine, and elderly people with weak immunity, including medical staff struggling to end Corona 19.

Daewoong Pharmaceutical said, “Hoystar tablets are convenient to take orally and are expected to be the most effective in the initial process of the virus starting to replicate, and because it is predicted to respond to virus mutations, we will provide the optimal treatment option to prevent the spread of Corona 19 infection. It is expected to provide.”

Meanwhile, Daewoong Pharmaceutical confirmed the effect of rapid virus removal and improvement of clinical symptoms through the initial phase 2 clinical trial conducted on mild patients with Corona 19, and is continuing late clinical trials on large-scale patients.

In addition, based on the support of the Ministry of Science, ICT, and ICT, the company is conducting local clinical trials in Mexico in collaboration with Pasteur Korea Research Institute, and is preparing in advance to supply Hoystar to overseas countries where there is an urgent need to secure treatments, starting with Mexico.