Everyone wants to develop COVID-19 treatment

Most pharmaceutical bio companies are just beginning to search for candidates

Vaccines and treatments have not been accepted as developed

#With regard to COVID-19, a number of pharmaceutical biotech companies have announced that they will develop treatments, and interest is being raised as to whether actual products will be available.

 

Some pharmaceutical companies use abstract terminology such as clinical trials and treatment development, but vaccine development must be profitable first and vaccine development has failed in SARS and MERS in the past.

 

Accordingly, some experts said that the expression should be carefully considered.

 

According to an investigation by the KPBMA on the 12th, 15 pharmaceutical and bio companies have announced their intentions to develop COVID-19 treatment and vaccines 'officially'.

 

SK Biosciences supported the discovery of non-clinical candidates for monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of COVID-19 promoted by the KCDC and GC Pharma also supported the development of a candidate for COVID-19 subunit vaccines based on synthetic antigens in the KCDC.

 

It is too early to discuss the development of both companies as they will enter the stage of excavation as a candidate.

 

Other than that, Boryung Biopharma, Sumagen, and G+FLAS announced that they would start developing the COVID-19 vaccine, but it requires a lot of basic technology, and there is no reality that can reveal the possibility of vaccine development.

 

Experts point out that the reality is only a search for candidates applicable to COVID-19, but it is likely to be mistaken for the development of therapeutics and vaccines to promote Phase III.

 

There are many companies that develop vaccines whenever new outbreaks occur, but they have actually started developing vaccines, but they have not succeeded.

 

“An RNA virus constantly mutates through generations”, said an official from drug company B specializing in vaccines.

 

Also, he added "Tens of billions of won are required to go through clinical trials to extract vaccines from infected people and attenuate the virus to make sure that the vaccine actually works for others".

 

He says the current treatment and vaccine development news is exaggerated.

 

In addition, considering the possibility of SARS strains, it is possible to draw conclusions that there are not many pharmaceutical companies that will execute billions of won to develop vaccines with high uncertainty.

 

He said, "Any company is declaring the development of vaccines and treatments these days, but I personally think this is only an advertisement" and added that some companies have nothing to do with vaccines, they don't have the technology they have, but they say that they are developing vaccines".

 

Among these, some companies are experiencing a strange phenomenon in which the stock price rises in the hope of the public that its own items can be used as a cure for COVID-19.

 

An official pharmaceutical company A said, "There was an asthma treatment developed in the past, but I am cautious that the spread of COVID-19 would be mistaken for the company to develop a treatment for COVID-19".

 

"In fact, pharmaceutical companies are not charities" said the official.

 

"It only needs to be profitable to maintain, but now it feels like pharmaceutical companies are starting to develop real treatments and vaccines".

 

Because of this controversy, the US FDA also issued a warning on the 9th.

 

#A warning letter was issued for seven products that mentioned the treatment and prevention of a disease for a product that does not actually have a therapeutic effect.

 

"There are currently no vaccines or drugs approved to treat or prevent COVID-19" said the FDA.

 

"Vaccines and treatments under study are in development, but are in the early stages of development and have not been fully tested for safety or effectiveness".

 

The FDA said that consumers should be wary of websites and stores that sell products that claim to prevent, alleviate, cure, diagnose, or cure COVID-19, and several companies claim to cure, alleviate, cure, diagnose, or prevent disease, but have not been proven.

 

In clinics, COVID-19 is deteriorating as a marketing tool, and the sap with vitamins is being sold as an adjuvant.

 

An official from bio company C that produces immune cell treatment products, said, "It is also promoted in a way that it can be safe from COVID-19 by boosting immunity with a single injection at clinics.

 

It is only a supplement or a health functional food, but these are not therapeutic agents".