President Moon “Expediting COVID-19 treatment approval”

At COVID-19 treatment and vaccine development meeting “Korea should lead in treatment development”

Plans to invest KRW 200 billion on vaccine development and to reflect required funding on contingency budget

Amid COVID-19 pandemic, President Moon Jae-in of South Korea has expressed his expectation for Korean-made treatment and vaccine to save the humanity.

 

President Moon personally emphasized the government support for the COVID-19 treatment vaccine through R&D investment and expedited approval process.

 

At a meeting convened on Apr.

 

9 for the COVID-19 treatment and vaccine developing industry-academy-research-hospital collaboration, President Moon urged “Korea and the whole world are desperately waiting for the treatment and vaccine.

 

They are the critical goals we have to achieve to overcome the pandemic completely.” The President Moon’s comment was interpreted as his commitment to bring together the government and corporate capacity on treatment and vaccine R&D as Korean infectious disease test kit and control model have been highlighted by the world amid the pandemic.

 

At the meeting, the Korean president personally mentioned of Institut Pasteur Korea accelerating the treatment development via pharmaceutical substance rediscovery, and other cases of Korean biopharmaceutical companies concentrating on promptly developing treatment based on plasma, antibody and anti-inflammatory.

 

President Moon said, “I have heard the inspiring news that Korea is at an exceptional level in developing COVID-19 treatment.

 

Although the country is comparatively inexperienced in developing pharmaceuticals and lacks in resource aid compared to other developed countries, Korea has endeavored in developing related technology through the struggle we had during the MERS outbreak in 2015.” President Moon stressed, “As we have become an example of infectious disease control, hopefully we could also lead in treatment and vaccine development to give the people courage and confidence and become the hope to our economy,” and “scientists, research institutes, companies, hospitals and the government should work together to promptly develop safe and effective treatment and vaccine.” “More than anything, this could be our opportunity to not only upgrade the infectious disease control capacity, but also to enhance treatment technology,” and “while we put the people’s safety first, fast-track clinical trial review procedure would be implemented,” the President added.

 

President Moon mentioned the government’s plans including opening biosafety laboratory to the public, providing necessary resources like convalescent plasma or patient’s sample, investing 210 billion won on COVID-19 vaccine development, reflecting treatment development cost and R&D investment funding on contingency budget, and establishing novel virus research laboratory.

 

Regarding international collaboration he said, “The G20 have agreed to share related data and cooperate together to develop treatment.

 

Korea would also actively participate in international cooperation led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN.” President Moon emphasized, “The biggest goal of the humanity at the moment is developing treatment and vaccine,” and “The Korean government would do its best to support all of you to solely focus on R&D.

 

And that is our role in saving the lives in all around the world.” And he encouraged the participants of the meeting by noting that “Korea’s mature sense of community is now a global example and standard of containing COVID-19,” and “With each and every one of you here being our driving force, Korea would be able to leap forward in treatment and vaccine development, and also contribute in the global community.”