"COVID-19 Vaccines and Treatments: Rushed Development Can Be Harmful"

Experts: "Domestic and International Research Still in Early Stages"
Vaccines and Treatments, Rushed Development Could Become Deadly Poison
Must Devote Great Effort to Ensuring Safety

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Junho] It has been suggested that the development of treatments and vaccines for the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) could take years to decades. Although the government has set a goal to develop COVID-19 treatments and vaccines as early as next year and is pushing forward, there are criticisms that no place has even begun animal testing yet. Experts believe that rushing to create treatments or vaccines and compromising safety could turn them into deadly poisons, and it is necessary to make the public aware that sufficient time must be taken to develop treatments and vaccines.

Development of Treatments and Vaccines Domestically and Abroad... At a Beginner Level

Experts participating in the online joint forum titled 'How Far Has COVID-19 Treatment and Vaccine Development Come?' held on the 17th by the Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies, the National Academy of Medicine of Korea, and the Korean Academy of Science and Technology, unanimously agreed that the development of COVID-19 treatments and vaccines is still in its early stages.

Professor Park Hyesook of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Ewha Womans University College of Medicine said, "Both the prevention and treatment development stages for COVID-19 are just beginning," adding, "We need to help the public understand that it takes a certain amount of time to prove safety and efficacy and to commercialize these products."

Hwang Eungsu, president of the Korean Vaccine Society, also stated, "Although 10 domestic institutions and companies are developing COVID-19 vaccines, unlike foreign countries, none have even entered the preclinical stage," and added, "At this point, it appears that developing treatments and vaccines could take years to decades."

The situation overseas is similar. Kim Sungjun, team leader at the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, explained, "In the U.S., the situation (regarding COVID-19 spread) is worse, so most research institutes have closed, and only a few labs are operating. In fact, when looking at the research, China and our country are progressing faster."

Treatments and Vaccines "Rushed Development Can Be Poisonous"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Experts emphasized that sufficient time is necessary to develop COVID-19 treatments and vaccines.

Professor Park Hyesook stated, "During the AIDS epidemic, over one million people were infected, and safety and efficacy tests were conducted randomly. Although there were side effects, early termination of studies resulted in the failure to apply standardized treatments, and issues such as sustained effectiveness and ethical problems followed."

Professor Kim Sungmin of Chungnam National University College of Medicine explained, "Thalidomide, widely used in Europe after World War II as a sleeping pill and often given to pregnant women, ultimately caused about 10,000 children to be born with disabilities, and 40% of them died, leading to serious problems." This drug showed no side effects in animal testing but revealed defects in human trials.

There was also an argument that more candidate substances need to be verified for treatment development. Shin Hyungsik, director of the National Medical Center, suggested that, to prepare for RNA variants, research should be conducted on treatment candidates such as HIV drugs rilpivirine and Truvada, similar to China, or that heparin should be used to prevent heart disease following COVID-19 infection, and clinical trials on drugs that suppress immune supplementation in the elderly should also be considered.

Meanwhile, the government announced on the 14th that antibody drugs using the blood of recovered COVID-19 patients aim to be developed as early as next year, and plasma treatments within 2 to 3 months. The target timeline for domestic vaccine development is set for the second half of 2021 or 2022.

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