Native Drug No.1 to Be Marketed Next Month... War for Differentiated Dosage

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Due to the domestic novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) causing the highest number of daily deaths so far at 40, interest in the development of COVID-19 treatments is growing even more. With the first domestically produced COVID-19 treatment expected to be marketed as early as next month, latecomers are strengthening their competitiveness through differentiated administration methods. They are developing formulations with high convenience, such as pills or sprays that can be administered at home instead of injections.

According to the related industry on the 29th, domestic pharmaceutical and bio companies are developing COVID-19 treatments in various administration forms including oral, spray, and inhalation types, in addition to injectable drugs.

Among domestic companies developing COVID-19 treatments in pill form, Daewoong Pharmaceutical is the fastest in development speed. Recently, Daewoong Pharmaceutical received approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to change the clinical trial phase of 'Hoistar Tablet' from phase 2 to phase 2/3, aiming for a launch in January next year. Hoistar Tablet is modeled after 'Tamiflu,' an oral treatment for novel flu. Seung-ho Jeon, CEO of Daewoong Pharmaceutical, said, "It is a drug like Tamiflu for COVID-19 in that it can be administered immediately," adding, "It could become the most notable treatment in situations where self-treatment is necessary due to a shortage of hospital beds."

NewGen Therapeutics also converted the pancreatitis treatment injectable ingredient 'Nafamostat' into a pill and received approval for phase 1 clinical trials for a COVID-19 treatment. CNPharm is developing the antiparasitic drug 'Niclosamide' as an oral COVID-19 treatment and plans to apply for phase 2 clinical trials early next month.

Spray forms that are sprayed into the nose or inhaled through the mouth are also under development. GeneOne Life Science is developing 'GLS-1200,' a COVID-19 preventive treatment that can eliminate the coronavirus when sprayed into the nostrils three times a day. The ongoing phase 2 clinical trial in the United States is expected to conclude as early as next month. GeneOne Life Science aims to market this treatment at a cost accessible to developing countries without financial burden. Young-geun Park, CEO of GeneOne Life Science, said, "We plan to complete phase 2 clinical trials by January or February next year and pursue technology transfer," adding, "We will try to get approval as an over-the-counter drug so that consumers can easily purchase it."

Genexine is developing 'GX-I7,' a preventive treatment that, when sprayed into the nose, can inhibit coronavirus replication for up to 35 days. Caregen is developing 'SpikeDown,' an antiviral peptide candidate drug, as a nasal spray form that can simultaneously prevent and treat COVID-19. Caregen stated, "In animal tests, the virus was eliminated by about 98%," and added, "We plan to complete phase 1 clinical trials in the first half of next year and aim for approval by the end of next year." Korea United Pharm is developing a treatment that is inhaled through the mouth twice a day. Since the drug directly reaches the lungs, it is explained that the risk of systemic side effects is low.

Meanwhile, the Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH) announced that as of midnight on the day, the number of deaths due to COVID-19 increased by 40 compared to the previous day, totaling 859. The domestic average fatality rate was calculated at 1.46%. This appears to be due to the recent surge in critically ill patients. The number of critically ill patients increased by 35 from the previous day to 330. The number of critically ill patients surpassed 300 again after four days since the 25th (311 patients), setting a new record. The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases increased by 1,046 from the previous day to 58,725. Regarding the infection routes of new confirmed cases, 1,030 were locally transmitted and 16 were imported cases.

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