[Click eStock] "NewG Lab is Key to Developing COVID-19 Treatment 'Nafamostat'"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Hyun-seok] Hanyang Securities analyzed on the 2nd that NewG Lab is the core company in the development of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) treatment 'Nafamostat.' No investment opinion or target price was provided.

Byung-yong Oh, a researcher at Hanyang Securities, stated, "In a situation where the efficacy of the only COVID-19 new drug, ‘Remdesivir,’ is ambiguous, the most spotlighted substance among the COVID-19 treatments currently under development is probably ‘Nafamostat.’ NewG Lab is a company participating as a joint research institution in the Phase 2 clinical trial of ‘Nafamostat’ for COVID-19, conducted under the supervision of the Ministry of Science and ICT."

He added, "‘Nafamostat’ is a substance whose patent expired 10 years ago, so a new patent is absolutely necessary to commercialize it as a COVID-19 treatment. That is why Chong Kun Dang is planning to file a patent for the usage/dosage related to COVID-19 treatment, and NewG Lab's competitiveness comes from this."

Hanyang Securities evaluates that NewG Lab has gained competitiveness by filing patents related to Nafamostat ahead of others. Researcher Oh said, "In June, NewG Lab filed a patent for an oral formulation of ‘Nafamostat’ together with a leading domestic university, and plans to apply for an IND for clinical trials of oral ‘Nafamostat’ to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety between late September and early October," emphasizing, "In other words, the strategy is not only to create an oral ‘Nafamostat’ and secure exclusive commercialization rights but also to improve medication convenience (from 24-hour intravenous administration to oral administration) to develop a treatment that can be widely used even for mild patients."

He continued, "The treatment we truly want is an oral pill like ‘Tamiflu’ that can be widely taken by mild patients worldwide. If the company succeeds in formulation improvement, we can expect a proper ‘Nafamostat’ treatment to emerge."

Currently, NewG Lab is also planning to conduct ‘Nafamostat’ clinical trials soon in Pakistan. He explained, "So far, the effects seem somewhat positive, but the number of clinical patients is still too small to accurately determine efficacy. As clinical results from domestic and international countries are compiled, the outcomes will become clearer." He added, "There is also a possibility of aiming for emergency use authorization, and related companies could receive considerable expectations during that process."

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