Daewoong Pharmaceutical Administers First Dose of 'Versiporosin', a New Drug for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, in Phase 2 Clinical Trial

/Photo by Daewoong Pharmaceutical

[Asia Economy Reporter Myunghwan Lee] Daewoong Pharmaceutical announced on the 6th that it completed the first patient dosing in the Phase 2 clinical trial of the idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis drug candidate 'Versiporosin' on the 31st of last month.

This Phase 2 clinical trial is being conducted at about 30 institutions in Korea and the United States, including Seoul Asan Medical Center. A total of 102 patients will be administered the test drug or placebo for 24 weeks, after which the safety of Versiporosin and changes in forced vital capacity (FVC) improvement rates will be evaluated. The goal is to complete dosing of the trial subjects and confirm the results by 2024.

Daewoong Pharmaceutical plans to demonstrate the antifibrotic effects and lung function improvement results of Versiporosin, which were confirmed in previous non-clinical efficacy tests, through this Phase 2 clinical trial.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, the main indication for Versiporosin, is a lung disease in which the lungs gradually harden and lose function due to excessively generated fibrous tissue. It is known as a rare disease with a survival rate of less than 40% five years after diagnosis because treatment is difficult. Currently marketed idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis treatments cannot completely stop disease progression and have a high dropout rate due to side effects.

Professor Jinwoo Song of the Department of Pulmonology at Seoul Asan Medical Center, who oversees the Phase 2 clinical trial of Versiporosin for domestic idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients, said, "While striving to develop new treatments for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients, Daewoong Pharmaceutical's Phase 2 clinical trial of Versiporosin is expected to greatly help develop treatments that compensate for the shortcomings of existing therapies."

Changjae Lee, CEO of Daewoong Pharmaceutical, stated, "With the first patient registered and dosed in the Phase 2 clinical trial of Versiporosin, we have taken an important first step to reach patients more quickly," adding, "We plan to focus on strengthening our new drug development capabilities to secure successful clinical results."