“Celltrion corona treatment is concerned about adverse effects on mutant virus”

Input 2021.02.02 13:58

Ban Bae-hwan Director, Infectious Disease Hospital Operation Center, National Medical Center
“May combine with mutant viruses to promote proliferation.”
“Do not administer to severe patients”… Green Cross treatment is also dangerous

Celltrion (068270)Experts have raised concerns that if an antibody treatment for a novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19), including’Recyrona’ of’Coronavirus’ is administered to a patient infected with a mutant virus, the treatment effect may decrease or, rather, an adverse effect of promoting the growth of the virus may occur.

On the morning of the morning of the 2nd, the head of the Central Infectious Diseases Hospital Operation Center of the National Medical Center, Bae Bae-hwan, attended the online discussion on’Corona 19 Vaccine and Treatment Development and Viral Mutation Status’ hosted by the Korean Association of Science Journalists and made an announcement.

Neutralizing antibodies, which are the main components of antibody therapeutics, play a role in reducing infectivity and toxicity by binding with the spike (projection) protein on the surface of the Corona 19 virus. “If the corona 19 virus mutates and the structure of the spike protein is changed, the neutralizing antibody that has responded to the existing virus will not play a role of anti-removal, but rather, it can help cell penetration and proliferation by vaguely binding with the mutant virus.” .

This explains the effect of’antibody-dependent infection enhancement (ADE)’, in which the infectivity is stronger because of the antibody. It is also a problem of chronic side effects of existing vaccines.

David Riggs, CEO of Eli Lilly, an antibody treatment developer in the United States, said on the 12th (local time), “The South African mutant virus is one of our concerns.” did.

Celltrion’s Rekirona strain was confirmed to be effective against mutant viruses G and GH types introduced into Korea from the U.S. and Europe last year. The number of confirmed mutant viruses in the UK, South Africa and Brazil in Korea increased by 7 from the 25th to this day, to a total of 34.

Director Bang also warned that “antibody treatments can become poisonous if administered to severely ill patients.” The severity of Corona 19 is not the virus itself, but the body’s immune response due to the penetration of the virus. Because of the immune response, not only viruses but also normal cells are attacked. If an antibody therapy is administered, an unwanted immune reaction can occur, which can worsen the severity. For this reason, Celltrion is limited to patients with mild and moderate symptoms.

Director Bang, GC, who collected neutralizing antibodies from cured people as well as antibody treatments made artificially with neutralizing antibodies.Green Cross (006280)He said that there are the same risks as the blood system treatment of He also questioned the actual efficacy of the Green Cross’s statement in December last year that “a severely ill patient in his 70s who was admitted to Kyungpook National University Hospital was cured through blood treatment.

Regarding that Celltrion is currently undergoing phase 3 of a’prevention clinical’ to find out the preventive effects of antibody treatments for non-diagnosed patients, Director Bang said, “It is possible to prevent infection with antibody treatments.” It disappears from my body, so the preventive effect will not last long.”

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety will decide whether to approve the use of Rekirona on the 5th.