Engineered Chemicals Life Sciences Signs Agreement with Chungcheongbuk-do and Chungbuk National University Hospital for COVID-19 Therapeutic Development Cooperation

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Hyun-seok] Engchem Life Sciences announced on the 20th that it has signed a business agreement with Chungcheongbuk-do, the domestic bio-mecca, and Chungbuk National University Hospital, a central region base medical institution, to rapidly advance clinical trials for the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

The business agreement was held in the small conference room of the Chungbuk Provincial Government main building, attended by about 10 officials including Lee Si-jong, Governor of Chungcheongbuk-do, Han Heon-seok, Director of Chungbuk National University Hospital, and Son Ki-young, CEO of Engchem Life Sciences. Through this partnership, Engchem Life Sciences will receive full support for administrative assistance, consultation, clinical preparations necessary for the clinical trial of the new drug substance EC-18, and smooth clinical trial progress at medical facilities and clinical institutions in Chungcheongbuk-do and local governments cooperating with Chungcheongbuk-do in COVID-19 response.

Meanwhile, Chungcheongbuk-do was recently selected as the final site for the large-scale national project worth 1 trillion won, the 'Multipurpose Synchrotron Radiation Accelerator Construction Project,' and Engchem Life Sciences has secured a site in the Osong Bio-Science Complex and is actively participating in this national project led by Chungcheongbuk-do for continuous global new drug development.

Son Ki-young, CEO of Engchem Life Sciences, said, "This business partnership is significant in that the three major institutions in the Chungbuk region have agreed to support the development of a global COVID-19 treatment to end the pandemic," adding, "With the full support of Chungcheongbuk-do and Chungbuk National University Hospital, we will make every effort to rapidly succeed in developing a global COVID-19 treatment."

Engchem Life Sciences received the 'first domestic first-class single substance COVID-19 treatment clinical phase 2 IND approval' from the Korea Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on the 12th. The EC-18 clinical trial at Chungbuk National University Hospital is being led by Professor Jung Hye-won, who received a presidential citation for her meritorious service in responding to MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome), as the principal investigator (PI).

Engchem Life Sciences explained that the new drug substance ‘EC-18’ promotes intracellular recycling of pattern recognition receptors (PRR, TLRs), rapidly removing damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMP) and pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMP) that accumulate in the body due to cell or tissue damage, thereby resolving inflammation. It is the first PETA (PRR Endocytic Trafficking Accelerator) mechanism platform technology that effectively treats inflammatory diseases such as COVID-19 infectious disease, tumors, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and oral mucositis.

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