Choi Ki-young: "Domestic COVID-19 Treatment Secured Within the Year... Analysis of Efficacy for Over 600 Compounds"

Minister Choi Ki-young of the Ministry of Science and ICT is giving opening remarks at the meeting with telecommunications company CEOs held on the 15th at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Junho Hwang] Choi Ki-young, Minister of Science and ICT, reaffirmed the goal of developing a treatment for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) within this year. To this end, the government has already conducted efficacy and toxicity analyses on over 600 candidate treatment and vaccine substances, and announced that it will support the hamster infection model this month, followed by the mouse infection model next month to aid in the development of treatments and vaccines.

Goal to Develop Treatment Within the Year

On the 27th, Minister Choi Ki-young held an on-site meeting with domestic treatment and vaccine companies and research institutions at Korea Bio Park, where domestic bio companies such as Genexine are located. He stated, "Developing treatments and vaccines, the only solutions to COVID-19, is the task assigned to the scientific community and myself." He added, "The Ministry of Science and ICT is actively supporting the acquisition of domestically produced treatments within this year and vaccines next year in cooperation with related ministries, industry, and hospitals."

Minister Choi further said, "We are also making efforts to stably supply early-developed foreign treatments and vaccines domestically, but as a citizen, I earnestly hope that domestic companies develop treatments and vaccines to provide them reliably to the public and secure platforms for developing treatments or vaccines against diseases that may occur in the future." He also added, "I sincerely hope that domestic vaccine development companies, including Genexine and HK inno.N, will achieve good results."

Efficacy Analysis of Over 600 Candidate Substances... Supporting Development of Small Animal Models

The government is currently supporting the development of treatments and vaccines. In May, it provided a non-human primate infection model to elucidate the mechanism of COVID-19 and to be used in challenge experiments essential for vaccine development. From this month, the hamster infection model is being supported, and from next month, the mouse model will also be available. In addition, efficacy and toxicity analyses of over 600 candidate treatment and vaccine substances have been completed.

Minister Choi stated, "We will expand research and development and research infrastructure support to successfully develop COVID-19 treatments and vaccines," and added, "I hope that the COVID-19 Response Research and Development Support Council, newly formed this time, will establish itself as a permanent corporate support system and become a model case for rapid corporate support."

Meanwhile, this meeting was organized to review the operation of the 'COVID-19 Response Research and Development Support Council,' which includes nine related organizations such as the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, and to check the status of vaccine development. The government plans to reflect the voices from the field in policies to accelerate vaccine development through this meeting.

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