Now Celltrion’s time… Countdown of applications for corona antibody treatment

Lee Nak-yeon, CEO of the Democratic Party, who started on-site inspection of the COVID-19 treatment development site, visited the research center at Celltrion Plant 2 in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon on the afternoon of October 18 and listened to the explanation of Celltrion Chairman Seo Jeong-jin. [사진=연합뉴스]

It is known that the domestic conditional use screening of the Corona 19 (new coronavirus infection) antibody treatment developed by Celltrion will begin within a few days. Political circles are also checking the progress of Celltrion treatment every day and giving them strength. If the treatment is approved for domestic use, it is expected to be of great help in improving the problem of lack of treatment beds for critically ill patients by suppressing the occurrence of severe patients.

Lee Nak-yeon, head of the Democratic Party, said at the Supreme Council’s meeting held at the National Assembly on the 23rd, “We will confirm the safety and effectiveness and accelerate the treatment and vaccination.” “I said.

Emergency use approval for therapeutic purposes refers to a system in which drugs under clinical trials prior to approval are used at the discretion of a doctor when there are no alternative drugs available for treatment of patients, and reported to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for review.

Celltrion’s antibody treatment’CT-P59′ is a treatment that is about to be approved for conditional use. It is expected that an application for conditional use approval will be filed with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety within this month as the analysis of the results of phase 2 clinical trials has reached the end.

In particular, CT-P59 was the first to evaluate whether or not to suppress the worsening of mild patients to severe in this clinical trial. It means preemptive treatment from mild to severe before it becomes a critical condition that can lead to death.

If CT-P59’s mild treatment effects and safety are confirmed, it is expected to relieve the burden of patients on the domestic medical system. Recently, in Korea, there are a number of confirmed patients who are unable to receive timely treatment due to the lack of critically ill beds.

In front-line treatment sites, emergency medication of CT-P59 has already begun. On the 22nd, Inje University’s Sanggye Paik Hospital received approval for emergency use of CT-P59 for pneumonia patients due to COVID-19 infection. This is the second time since the drug was administered on December 11 at Asan Hospital.

Celltrion has previously produced 100,000 CT-P59 doses that can be administered to the Korean people, and is preparing to supply them to medical sites quickly upon approval for conditional use. In this regard, Seo Jeong-jin, chairman of Celltrion Group, said, “If early treatment with an antibody therapy can be performed, the public anxiety can be eliminated.”

Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun visits Incheon Celltrion Plant 2, which is developing an antibody treatment for a novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19) on the 22nd, and listens to the explanation of the treatment from Celltrion Chairman Seo Jeong-jin. 2020.12.22 [사진=연합뉴스]

Earlier, Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun visited Celltrion in Soje, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon on the 22nd to check the development of the treatment.

Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun said, “We know that Celltrion has begun developing a treatment from the beginning of the outbreak of Corona 19 and is waiting for the results after completing phases 1 and 2.” It will be an important opportunity.”

He expressed his gratitude for the hard work of Celltrion employees, saying, “I sincerely hope that the clinical trial of the treatment will be successfully completed and the timely approval will be a light for the people concerned about Corona 19.”

Reporter Kang Kyung-joo [email protected]