Senhwa Biosciences Inc., of Taipei, Taiwan, said casein kinase 2 (CK2) is the right target to aim at when developing a COVID-19 therapeutic treatment. The company’s silmitasertib is the only clinical-stage inhibitor of CK2, a kinase recently identified by researchers as being hijacked by SARS-CoV-2.
HONG KONG – Incheon, South Korea-based Celltrion Inc. is rapidly advancing CT-P59, its antiviral antibody treatment for the COVID-19 virus, after receiving its second green light to begin phase I trials.
HONG KONG – Suwon-based Olix Pharmaceuticals Inc. is completing the final preclinical work before starting clinical trials for its as-yet-unnamed COVID-19 drug candidate, developed inside three months using RNA interference (RNAi) technology.
HONG KONG – Tokyo-based Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd. has hit its goals in a phase III study testing the use of prasugrel hydrochloride in thrombotic stroke patients.
HONG KONG – Mumbai, India-headquartered Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd. have released statistically significant top-line results from a phase III trial showing that Fabiflu (favipiravir), an antiviral pyrazine RNA polymerase inhibitor, can treat cases of mild to moderate COVID-19 in four days.
HONG KONG – Osaka, Japan-based Shionogi & Co Ltd. continues to make global inroads with its influenza treatment, Xofluza (baloxavir marboxil), submitting supplemental new drug applications in Japan and Taiwan for a post-exposure prophylaxis indication on the back of positive results from its phase III trials.
HONG KONG – Shanghai-based I-Mab Biopharma Co. Ltd. expects to begin clinical trials for the world’s first and only claudin18.2 and 4-1BB bispecific program in a year.
With the green light for a phase II trial to test a new drug to tackle some of the impacts of COVID-19, clinical-stage antibody developer Sorrento Therapeutics Inc. is going all in on the COVID-19 business. The company is now developing three therapeutic products, one diagnostic and a vaccine.
HONG KONG – Incheon, South Korea-based Celltrion Inc. will start manufacturing its COVID-19 treatment for clinical trials and commercial distribution, even though it’s only reached phase I. The phase I trials testing the in-house antiviral antibody treatment CT-P59 began on July 17, the same day the company received approval from Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) for its investigational new drug application on the back of positive preclinical results.
LONDON – There were encouraging results from trials of three COVID-19 vaccines on July 20, with Astrazeneca plc, Biontech SE/Pfizer Inc. and Cansino Biologics Inc. all reporting T-cell responses in ongoing phase I/II studies of their respective products.