Ilyang Pharmaceutical "Discovered Candidate Substance for COVID-19 Treatment"

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Ilyang Pharmaceutical announced on the 13th that its leukemia treatment drug 'Suppect' and MERS new drug candidate substances showed therapeutic effects against the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

The research team conducted in vitro tests using Suppect in a Biosafety Level 3 laboratory at Korea University College of Medicine's Biosafety Center, utilizing the SARS-CoV-2 virus provided by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to the test results, within 48 hours after administration, the COVID-19 virus decreased by 70% compared to the control group. It was explained that Suppect demonstrated superior efficacy compared to the HIV treatment drug 'Kaletra' and the flu treatment drug 'Avigan.'

An Ilyang Pharmaceutical official stated, "Suppect is already a marketed new drug with proven safety, allowing for a faster development period compared to other candidate substances," adding, "This raises expectations that it can be repurposed as a drug capable of suppressing the spread of COVID-19."

The research team also found that nine candidate substances for MERS treatment inhibited the COVID-19 virus in in vitro tests. Among them, five new candidate substances showing excellent effects confirmed a reduction of over 99% of the COVID-19 virus within 24 hours after administration.

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