GC Green Cross Wellbeing Files Patent Application for Placenta-Derived Antiviral Composition

Three Patent Applications for Placenta-Derived Exosomes and Compositions Containing miRNA

[Asia Economy Reporter Jihee Kim] GC Green Cross Wellbeing announced on the 15th that it has filed three international patents (PCT) on the 9th for antiviral compositions containing placental hydrolysates, antiviral compositions containing placental-derived substances, and antiviral compositions containing miRNA derived from placental extracts.

The patents filed this time include results confirming the antiviral effects of placental-derived substances through in vitro experiments and the analysis of various microRNAs obtained from next-generation sequencing (NGS) data analysis of exosomes present in Lynek.

The research team predicted the binding sites between the RNA of the COVID-19 virus and placental-derived microRNA (miRNA) using the TargetScan program, identifying five miRNA candidate substances with high potential as antiviral active ingredients. The TargetScan algorithm is currently the most accurate microRNA target prediction program in the microRNA field.

In September last year, GC Green Cross Wellbeing confirmed that the antiviral efficacy of Lynek, a placental hydrolysate, against COVID-19 in a ferret animal model was almost equivalent to that of remdesivir. The company is currently conducting follow-up studies on the mechanisms of Lynek, placental-derived exosomes (microvesicles), and miRNA.

Lynek received approval for phase 2 clinical trials as an antiviral treatment for COVID-19 from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in February this year. It will be administered by intravenous drip injection to hospitalized patients with moderate COVID-19 to evaluate antiviral efficacy and safety against the COVID-19 virus.

Hyejung Han, Head of Development at GC Green Cross Wellbeing, said, “Based on the research results of Lynek’s antiviral effects, we plan to secure data on symptom improvement and shortened treatment duration in domestic COVID-19 patients, immune enhancement effects, and virus reduction through PCR testing.”