In addition, on the 12th, the Democratic Party summoned the heads of R&D of three domestic pharmaceutical companies to the National Assembly. The intention is that the lawmakers will hear about the efficacy and timing of dissemination of treatments, which are of public concern. Kwon Ki-seong, head of Celltrion’s R&D headquarters, Park Hyun-jin, head of Daewoong Pharmaceutical’s development headquarters, and Lee Jae-woo, head of the Green Cross development headquarters, responded to the questioning of lawmakers.
On the 12th, a meeting was held at the National Assembly House of Representatives to check the development status of corona treatment. Democratic Party President Lee Nak-yeon, Lee Gwang-jae, Shin Hyun-young, and Hwang Hee asked pharmaceutical companies about the development progress and safety.
It was an event that was planned by Rep. Lee Kwang-jae and Rep. Hwang Hee and Shin Hyun-young to lead the question, but as Representative Lee Nak-yeon decided to attend, several Democratic Party lawmakers joined the meeting. In order to comply with the quarantine regulations, only CEO Lee and the host lawmakers attended the offline meeting with officials from pharmaceutical companies. Congressman Lee said, “It was created to relieve the public’s anxiety caused by lack of information about the effectiveness and development progress of the treatment, and to identify points that need policy support.”
- What kind of cure is coming out
Celltrion “The’Rekirona’ that we are developing is a drug that treats early patients who do not need inpatient treatment or oxygen therapy. Using a remedy after symptoms appear can reduce the number of viruses in the lungs and prevent it from developing severely. The milder and early patients were more effective.”
Daewoong Pharmaceutical “Of the corona treatments developed by Daewoong Pharmaceutical, Hoystar tablet is similar to’Tamiflu’, a new influenza treatment. As an edible oral drug, self-containers can self-medicate, and mass production is possible, so the price is reasonable. This drug is a way to inhibit the penetration of the virus into cells. If you are notified of self-isolation and eat at home, it is expected to prevent the spread of the community.”
Green cross “The high immunoglobulin treatment that Green Cross is developing is the concept of a blood system drug. It is made into a treatment by using neutralizing antibodies in the plasma of a person who has recovered after being infected. It’s a viable option when a vaccine or treatment isn’t available yet. The key is to donate plasma to the healer, and three religious organizations, mainly Seoul and Daegu, have contributed a lot.”
- How long until use
Celltrion “The results of phase 2 clinical trials will be announced at 6 pm on the 13th. I got the expected level. The KFDA’s conditional permit review is in progress. It is expected to be approved during this month. I also applied for global emergency use approval.”
Attending the conference by video Rep. Hong Young-pyo said, “It is a very difficult time until mid-February. If good results are obtained from the announcement on the 13th, can it be used even before the KFDA license is issued?”“If not, what are the obstacles?” he asked. Headquarters Kwon replied, “We are open to doctors who want to use it clinically, but it is best to get conditional approval.”
Daewoong Pharmaceutical “The 2nd and 3rd phases were merged and registration started in January. As early as March-April, clinical results can be secured. The specific plan will be announced through the thesis.”
Green cross “Phase 2 is currently in progress and the final result is expected to come out in March. If the results come out well, I think it will be available around April by applying for a conditional license to the KFDA.”
- Safety and responsiveness to mutation
Celltrion “There were no serious adverse reactions and there were no cases of discontinuation of the study. Patients with minor adverse reactions also recovered quickly. We are confirming whether it is applicable to the UK and South African variants.”
Daewoong Pharmaceutical “Hoystar tablet is a drug that has been licensed to treat chronic pancreatitis since 2012, so safety has been secured. It’s a host cell-based drug, so it works regardless of the mutation.”
Green cross “Blood medicine is safe because it is a traditional medicine. Hepatitis B, chickenpox, tetanus and other treatments are the same, but only the antigen type is changed.”
On the 12th, Kwon Ki-seong, head of Celltrion R&D, Park Hyun-jin, head of Daewoong Pharmaceutical’s development headquarters, and Lee Jae-woo, head of Green Cross development headquarters, explained the current status of the development of COVID-19 treatment in the first video conference room of the National Assembly Assembly Hall.
Rep. Shin Hyun-young, who was a doctor who held the meeting, summarized the discussion and said, “There was a limit to the discussion because we could not hear specifically about the results of phase 2 clinical trials. Many drugs did not prove their effectiveness during phase 3 trials. Fast progress is also important, but it is important to thoroughly verify it.”
Reporter Song Seung-hwan [email protected]