At least two from South Korea will apply for fast-track licensing for cures for Covid-19 by next month.

Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corp. said Monday that Russia’s Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) allowed it to continue the Phase 2 clinical tests of its anticoagulant drug Nafabeltan after confirming a certain level of effectiveness of the drug on Covid-19 patients in its interim assessment.

Chong Kun Dang said it plans to complete the trials by the end of this year. It will apply with the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for a conditional approval of the treatment in January. Upon regulatory approval, it will immediately supply the drug to the domestic market.

Another major bio name Celltrion Inc. also plans to apply for emergency use of its Covid-19 antibody treatment within this month as it is now at the final stage of a Phase 2 clinical trial for the therapy. Celltrion Chairman Seo Jung-jin said last week that Phase 1 data demonstrated the drug’s safety and efficacy, raising expectations for positive results from the Phase 2 trial.

By Chung Ji-sung and Choi Mira

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