Quratis "Tuberculosis Vaccine Selected as Government National Project... Blockbuster-Level New Drug Project"

Curatis announced on the 17th that it has been selected as the lead institution for the project "Unmet Demand Vaccines for Future Growth High Value-added Vaccine Development," which is the 2nd new support project of 2023 by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (professional agency Korea Health Industry Development Institute) and Kyung Hee University Global Vaccine Technology Leading Project Group. The project is a "Phase 2b clinical study for the development of tuberculosis vaccines for adolescents and adults."

With this project selection, Curatis plans to evaluate the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of the new tuberculosis vaccine drug QTP101 for adolescents and adults through a Phase 2b clinical trial and conduct an interim analysis for entry into Phase 3 clinical trials. To this end, over 19 months, it will receive 2.85 billion KRW out of a total of 3.8 billion KRW in research and development expenses from the government and conduct clinical projects at Yonsei Medical Center Severance Hospital and four other centers in Korea, as well as in one to two Southeast Asian countries.

Tuberculosis is a disease caused by infection of the lungs, kidneys, nerves, etc. by tuberculosis bacteria. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 'Global TB Report 2022,' approximately 10.6 million tuberculosis patients occurred worldwide in 2021, and it is estimated that about 1.6 million people died from tuberculosis.

Once the tuberculosis vaccine is commercialized, its marketability in Korea is expected. A company official said, "Currently, the cervical cancer vaccine, which is designated as NIP (National Immunization Program) and receives national support, has a budget of 274.9 billion KRW targeting 290,000 female adolescents aged 13 to 17. In comparison, Curatis's tuberculosis vaccine targets adolescents aged 15 and older and adults, so the scope of application is wider, and more demand is expected when designated as NIP in the future. Since the only existing tuberculosis vaccine, BCG, is already listed in NIP, the possibility of NIP application through expanding the vaccination age to adolescents and adults is inevitably high." The number of tuberculosis patients dying in Korea averages 4 per day, which is a more serious disease compared to cervical cancer (an average of 2.5 deaths per day).

Curatis also expects high demand for tuberculosis vaccines overseas in countries with many tuberculosis patients such as Southeast Asia. Among all tuberculosis patients worldwide, 87% occurred in 30 high-risk tuberculosis countries, and more than two-thirds occurred in eight countries including India (28%), Indonesia (9.2%), and China (7.4%). The official said, "Indonesia even granted emergency approval for Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine to supply it," adding, "In Indonesia, the daily death toll from tuberculosis is 390, which is more serious than the COVID-19 death rate, so if a tuberculosis vaccine is released, there is a high possibility of securing the related market."

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