[Featured Stocks] SMAC, Sinopex, and Other Plasma Therapy Stocks Rise on First COVID-19 Patient Discharge

[Asia Economy Reporter Minwoo Lee] Stocks of companies possessing related technology are showing strong performance following news that a patient with novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) who received plasma therapy has improved and been discharged.

As of 2 PM on the 7th, the stock price of SMAC is trading at 1,325 KRW, up 7.72% from the previous day. It appears that the positive news is driven by SMAC's subsidiary Dynona holding technology for extracting coronavirus-blocking antibodies related to plasma therapy.

On the same day, a research team led by Professors Junyong Choi and Shinyoung Kim from Yonsei University Severance Hospital published a study in the international journal ‘JKMS’ reporting that plasma therapy was greatly helpful for two patients who developed severe pneumonia accompanied by acute respiratory distress syndrome due to COVID-19 infection. Among the two patients?a woman in her 60s and a man in his 70s?one has been declared fully recovered and already discharged.

Sinopex, which has developed plasma separation membrane products related to plasma therapy, also showed strong performance. As of 2 PM, its stock price is trading at 3,120 KRW, up 12.84% from the previous day. Around 1 PM, it even recorded 3,445 KRW, up 24.59% from the previous day.