Minister of Health and Welfare Kwon Deok-cheol (right) and Daewoong Pharmaceutical CEO Jeon Seung-ho are taking a commemorative photo with local participants from Indonesia via video connection at the MOU signing ceremony for COVID-19 treatment on the 30th. (Provided by Daewoong Pharmaceutical)
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] Daewoong Pharmaceutical has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Indonesian government to develop a COVID-19 treatment and will proceed with clinical trials.
On the 30th, Daewoong Pharmaceutical announced on the 31st that it had signed an MOU with the National Institute of Health Research and Development (NIHRD) under the Indonesian government through its Indonesian joint venture, Daewoong Infion, to develop a COVID-19 treatment.
The event took place following the Korea-Indonesia health ministers' meeting. In Indonesia, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Minister of Health of Indonesia, and Seo Chang-woo, CEO of Daewoong Infion, held the signing ceremony, while at the same time, Kwon Deok-cheol, Minister of Health and Welfare of Korea, and Jeon Seung-ho, CEO of Daewoong Pharmaceutical, participated in the signing ceremony via video connection with Indonesia from Seoul.
With this, Daewoong Pharmaceutical will conduct clinical trials in Indonesia under the support of the local government for 'Hoistar tablets (active ingredient: Camostat Mesylate)' and 'DWRX2003 (active ingredient: Niclosamide),' which are being developed as COVID-19 treatments. The Indonesian government will select general hospitals to conduct the clinical trials of the two drugs and cooperate in conducting the clinical trials by complying with international standards in facility installation and patient management.
Minister Kwon said, "The development of treatments and vaccines is an important task not only to overcome COVID-19 but also to accumulate capabilities to prepare for possible new infectious diseases in the future," adding, "We hope for good results from Daewoong Pharmaceutical's clinical trials to be conducted in Indonesia." Minister Sadikin of Indonesia's Ministry of Health said, "We hope that health and medical cooperation between the two countries will be further strengthened," and added, "We will overcome Indonesia's COVID-19 situation by referring to Korea's quarantine strategy."
Jeon Seung-ho, CEO of Daewoong Pharmaceutical, also said, "We will accelerate the development of treatments so that the 270 million people of Indonesia can quickly escape the fear of COVID-19," and added, "We will conduct the clinical trials thoroughly with the health and safety of the Indonesian people in mind."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
