Celltrion’s investigational antibody therapy demonstrated virucidal against Covid-19, destroying the virus within four to five days in a clinical trial, the Korean drugmaking group chairman Seo Jung-jin said on Wednesday.

During a radio interview in Seoul, Seo said the results are based on interim results from a Phase 1 trial of the company’s antibody therapy of CT-P59. The therapy lowers the risk of developing severe illness or organ damage, Seo emphasized.

Earlier, Celltrion conducted a Phase 1 trial of CT-P59 to evaluate the therapy’s safety, tolerability and symptomatic and viral load changes from baseline in 18 patients with mild symptoms at three health centers in Korea and Europe. Data showed time to recovery in the treatment arm was down by 44 versus placebo. These findings were already published at a local academic conference and officially released on Nov. 6.

Seo also said the company launched production of the antibody therapy and will file for conditional approval of the drug based on full clinical data in December, adding that the therapy is ready to be used by some 100,000 patients. For overseas shipment, the company is planning production of the drug to cover up to 2 million patients.

By Pulse

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