Accelerating Development of 'COVID-19 Therapeutics'... Primate Trials to Begin Next Month

On the 6th, citizens are purchasing masks at a pharmacy near Jongno 5-ga, Seoul. From this day onward, a duplicate purchase verification system has been established at pharmacies nationwide, requiring presentation of an ID to buy masks. The purchase limit per person has been reduced from 5 masks to 2 masks per person. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Junho] Efficacy testing of new coronavirus (COVID-19) treatments targeting primates such as monkeys will begin next month. This is a preparatory step before conducting clinical trials on humans. There is growing interest in whether COVID-19 treatments can be developed quickly.

Animal Testing Begins on Monkeys, Laboratory Mice, and Others

On the 6th, citizens are purchasing masks at a pharmacy near Jongno 5-ga, Seoul. From this day onward, a duplicate purchase verification system has been established at pharmacies nationwide, requiring presentation of an ID to buy masks. The purchase limit per person has been reduced from 5 masks to 2 masks per person. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

According to the Ministry of Science and ICT on the 6th, the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology will complete the development of a primate model using monkeys by early next month. Through this, monkeys will be infected with COVID-19, and efforts to find treatments using drugs expected to be effective against COVID-19 will officially begin.

Additionally, the government is accelerating efforts to find treatments using laboratory mice. The National Mouse Phenotyping Consortium, which has secured capabilities through the development of various genetically modified mice, is developing five types of COVID infection model mice considering coronavirus variants. Plans are also underway to import COVID-19 infected mice from overseas.

Accelerating Drug Repurposing for COVID-19

These animal experiments are part of drug repurposing efforts to find drugs effective against COVID-19 among those that treat viruses similar to COVID-19. The government is searching for drugs approved by the US FDA with proven safety that also show efficacy against COVID-19.

The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to promptly share research results confirmed through animal experiments with the medical community to ensure safe and effective drug administration.

Meanwhile, First Vice Minister Jeong Byeong-seon visited the primate center of the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology in Ochang, Chungbuk, stating, "Public concern about the COVID-19 virus is very serious. Based on the technological capabilities secured through R&D by the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and the scientific community, please do your best to quickly produce results from the 'COVID-19 treatment drug repurposing research' and provide these to the public and medical field so that drugs can be used safely and effectively."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.