Life Institute Completes COVID-19 Cell Line Proliferation

The closure of the Korea Building in Sindorim-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul, where the largest cluster infection of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the metropolitan area occurred, was partially lifted at midnight on the 16th for some areas (offices and commercial spaces on floors 1 to 6). Guro-gu, Seoul, lifted the closure order for the Korea Building at midnight on the 16th. The closure order for the call center floors, 7 to 12, will be maintained until the 22nd, and the decision to lift the order will be made later depending on the situation. The photo shows the thermal imaging camera screening station set up in the building lobby on that day. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Junho Hwang] The pathogen proliferation work for the development of a novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) treatment has been completed. The efficacy evaluation of candidate therapeutic substances is expected to begin soon.

Jeong Byeong-seon, the 1st Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT, inspected infection research sites including the Jeonbuk branch of the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology on the 18th.

The Jeonbuk branch of the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology is equipped with an animal-use biosafety level 3 research facility and has completed preparations to evaluate the efficacy of COVID-19 treatment candidate substances.

The institute stated, "We secured the COVID-19 pathogen from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency last month and completed the proliferation work," adding, "Efficacy evaluations of COVID-19 vaccine and treatment candidate substances will be conducted targeting cell systems, rodents, and mustelid mammals."

Whether the candidate substances can be used as treatments will be determined based on the efficacy evaluation results. In addition to this work, the government is also conducting 'drug repositioning' to evaluate the efficacy of existing drugs approved by the U.S. FDA that are expected to have therapeutic effects against COVID-19.

Vice Minister Jeong said, "I hope that technologies related to the development of prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and response systems for infectious diseases will be developed promptly to contribute to public health, and the government will provide generous support for this."

Meanwhile, on the same day, Vice Minister Jeong visited the Institute of Zoonotic Infectious Diseases at Jeonbuk National University, which is researching the transmission process of novel viruses to humans. He also attended the opening ceremony of the Nano Carbon-based Energy Materials Application Technology Center at Jeonbuk National University and visited Deck Carbon Co., Ltd., the first advanced technology company in the Jeonbuk Special Zone and a carbon composite materials specialist.

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