![[SEN]Corona 19 mutant virus outbreak… Development of vaccines, treatments, diagnostic test reagents, etc.](https://img.sedaily.com/web/common/sedaily.jpg "[SEN]Corona 19 mutant virus outbreak… Development of vaccines, treatments, diagnostic test reagents, etc.")
[서울경제TV=배요한기자] With the first group infection in the mutant virus community, and the quarantine authorities are tense, the development of vaccines, treatments, and diagnostic test reagents to catch the mutant virus is actively progressing.
According to the industry on the 4th, a total of 38 people, including foreigners who entered the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on December 25 last year, have been infected with Corona 19, including family and relatives, and 4 of them have been confirmed as mutant viruses. Including these, there are a total of 39 mutant viruses identified in Korea.
With the discovery of a mutant virus with a higher fatality rate, the United Kingdom and the United States are taking measures such as restricting the number of people entering to prevent further spread.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said at a press conference on the 22nd of last month that “the British mutant virus is observed to have a higher fatality rate”, and Anthony Pouch, director of the National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Diseases, said, “The mutant virus that mainly circulates in the UK is toxic. That means more damage, including death,” he said.
At the end of January, the U.S. government also decided to limit entry of citizens from 26 European countries including South Africa and the UK to the U.S. to block the influx of the mutant virus.
In this situation, companies that are developing vaccines and treatments are working to improve the performance of existing vaccines so that they can be effective against mutant species, or are working on clinical trials of candidates for treatment and development of diagnostic test reagents.
Pfizer and AstraZeneca are currently developing a new vaccine candidate and are planning to enter clinical trials in the second quarter, and Moderna has said its vaccine is effective against the UK mutant virus.
Modena said, “As a result of testing with serum from animals and humans already, we have confirmed that it is equally effective for several types of SARS strains discovered from the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak,” and plans to conduct additional tests to prove this. to be.
A multinational pharmaceutical company Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) has also started developing an antibody treatment for the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19). BMS has signed a license agreement for the global market and the development of a pair of neutralizing antibody combinations for the treatment of Corona 19 with Rockefeller University in the United States, and the developed antibody therapy is expected to be effective in the mutation of the Corona 19 virus.
Among domestic companies, Celltrion, Daewoong Pharmaceutical, Cellmaterafutics, Gyeongnam Bio Pharma (044480) And others are developing antibody therapeutics and oral preventive drugs.
Celltrion is awaiting conditional approval of the new coronavirus infection (Corona 19) antibody treatment drug “Rekyronaju” (ingredient name Regdanvimab). Celltrion received a’conditional approval recommendation’ from the Central Pharmacy Review Committee, an external advisory body of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety last month, and is currently awaiting verification of the safety and efficacy of the results of phase 2 clinical trials by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
Daewoong Pharmaceutical has also received approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for a clinical trial plan for the prevention of COVID-19 of’Hoy Star Tablet’ (ingredient name camostat mesylate), which is being developed as its own COVID-19 treatment.
In addition, Cellatherapeutics submitted an application for approval for phase 3 clinical trials for candidates for COVID-19 treatment to the French Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (ANSM), and signed a contract with Biowithers to jointly develop diagnostic test reagents for mutant COVID-19 in April of last year. Also, Gyeongnam Biopharma, which has been conducting research, has also completed joint development of a Corona 19 diagnostic reagent.
An industry insider predicted, “It is important to block the influx of mutant viruses abroad and find infections in local communities, and companies will develop vaccines, treatments, and diagnostic kits sequentially.”
/Bae Yohan [email protected]
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