Intron Bio is showing strong performance. Recently, respiratory infectious diseases have been spreading rapidly in kindergartens and elementary schools in China, causing global concern, which appears to be influencing the stock price. Taiwan has advised elderly people and children with weakened immune systems to refrain from traveling to China, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has requested an investigation in China.
As of 10:27 AM on the 5th, Intron Bio was trading at 8,750 KRW, up 430 KRW (5.17%) from the previous trading day.
Following China, the number of Mycoplasma pneumonia cases is rapidly increasing domestically as well. Many children are being affected, and there is analysis suggesting that antibiotic resistance may be making the disease more severe.
The respiratory infectious disease spreading in China is known to be Mycoplasma pneumonia. This pneumonia is caused by infection with Mycoplasma bacteria and mainly occurs in children aged 5 to 9.
Recently, the medical community has analyzed that the reason Mycoplasma bacteria have become more virulent is due to antibiotic resistance. According to U.S. studies, when resistance develops, symptoms become severe, and the risk of ICU admission is five times higher. Research from Seoul National University Hospital showed that the resistance rate among hospitalized Mycoplasma patients increased up to 78.5%, and among them, three types were identified as new strains not seen before. The global academic journal Nature analyzed that antibiotic resistance could be the cause of the surge in Mycoplasma pneumonia cases in China.
If resistance develops due to unnecessary antibiotic use, the number of effective antibiotics available for situations where they are truly needed decreases, increasing the risk of mortality. British researchers have warned that if the antibiotic resistance problem is not resolved, up to 10 million people worldwide could die by 2050. The economic loss is expected to reach approximately 100 trillion USD (about 10 quadrillion KRW).
According to IMS Health, the global antibiotic market was about 41.6 billion USD (approximately 50 trillion KRW) in 2016 and is projected to reach 60 billion USD by 2024. The antibiotic resistance issue is a worsening global problem. Considering the increasing frequency of resistant bacteria, the superbug antibiotic market is expected to grow faster than the existing antibiotic market.
Intron Bio continues research and development to address the antibiotic resistance problem. The superbug biopharmaceutical SAL200 has a completely different mechanism of action from existing antibiotics, so it is expected to remain effective against bacteria resistant to conventional antibiotics.
The company has also secured the endolysin new drug substance ‘SPL200,’ which exhibits excellent antibacterial activity against pneumococcus. Pneumonia refers to inflammation occurring in the bronchioles and below in the lungs. Infection by bacteria or viruses is the main cause, and fungal infections occur rarely. It is the disease with the fourth highest mortality rate after cancer, heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease. Bacterial pneumonia has been identified as a representative secondary bacterial infection disease during the COVID-19 pandemic this year.
Intron Bio developed SPL200 by utilizing bacteriophage genomic information and applying various technologies. The company reported that SPL200 showed excellent antibacterial activity against 24 vaccine-type strains (subtypes of similar kinds) and 11 non-vaccine-type clinical isolates. The bacteria targeted by SPL200 is S. pneumoniae, which is different from Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
The company possesses a diagnostic solution to monitor Mycoplasma contamination. This is not a diagnostic kit for human use but a diagnostic solution that monitors whether biopharmaceuticals are contaminated with Mycoplasma. Development of a diagnostic kit for human use is reportedly under consideration.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
