Pancreatitis Treatment Shows 600 Times Higher Efficacy Than Remdesivir

On the 14th, as the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) related to Itaewon clubs increases, citizens are waiting to be tested at a screening clinic set up at Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Mo Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Junho Hwang] A candidate therapeutic substance has been discovered that is about 600 times more effective than Remdesivir, which has been granted emergency use authorization as a treatment for COVID-19 in the United States and other countries.

The Korea Pasteur Institute conducted cell experiments on over 3,000 drugs to find antiviral agents effective against COVID-19, and revealed on the preprint server 'bioRxiv' on the 12th (local time) that Nafamostat showed the most potent efficacy.

600 Times More Effective Than Remdesivir

The institute reported that, based on experiments using human lung cells (Calu-3) infected with COVID-19, Nafamostat demonstrated approximately 600 times higher efficacy compared to Remdesivir.

This drug is well known as an ingredient in blood anticoagulants and treatments for acute pancreatitis. Notably, since this substance has been approved for use in Korea and Japan for over 10 years, it is expected that there will be few regulatory obstacles to using it as a COVID-19 treatment.

The institute initiated this research based on recent German studies showing that the protein-degrading enzyme TMPRSS2 plays a role in activating the spike protein during the virus's entry into cells. Based on these findings, the institute filed a patent application for 'Nafamostat' on the 20th of last month.

Clinical Trials Underway Domestically and Abroad

According to the institute, clinical trials are currently being conducted at 10 hospitals in Korea based on these research results. Trials have also begun in Italy, Japan, and other countries.

Ryu Wang-sik, director of the Korea Pasteur Institute, stated, "Nafamostat, which showed antiviral effects hundreds of times greater at the cellular level than Remdesivir recently granted emergency use authorization in the U.S., is expected to contribute to ending COVID-19," adding, "Since Nafamostat was originally used as an anticoagulant, it will greatly help improve pneumonia symptoms such as thrombosis caused by COVID-19."