[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Celltrion announced on the 13th that its antibody development project for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) treatment has been selected as a national project in the field of infectious disease prevention and treatment by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute.
Following the selection of this national project, Celltrion plans to invest a total of 3.7 billion KRW, including 2.2 billion KRW in government funding, to develop the MERS antibody therapeutic 'CT-P38'. The research aims to complete preclinical trials and obtain approval for Phase 1 clinical trials of CT-P38 by 2022. The detailed project will be conducted in collaboration with Korea University.
Celltrion began research on CT-P38 after the first domestic MERS patient was reported in May 2015 and succeeded in developing a candidate therapeutic substance. In 2018, it obtained domestic and international patents for a 'binding molecule with neutralizing activity against Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus.'
A Celltrion representative stated, "We plan to discuss development costs with governments of Middle Eastern countries and partner companies to ensure continuous and stable development of the MERS antibody therapeutic," adding, "We will leverage our accumulated clinical know-how in antibody drug development to promote cost-efficient development."
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