Aju Business Daily

SEOUL -- Celltrion, a bio firm involved in a project to develop the treatment of patients infected with a new coronavirus, claimed to have achieved progress in the initial animal testing of candidates for antibody treatment.

Celltrion has embarked on the verification of selected candidates for antibody treatment to see if they can neutralize the coronavirus. The company has conducted animal tests on ferrets.

Symptoms such as coughing have disappeared since the fifth day of drug administration, Celltrion said, adding the virus was reduced by up to 100 times when antibody treatments were administered at high concentrations and lung inflammation was greatly improved.

The company would conduct efficacy and toxicity tests on hamsters, mice and monkeys before starting clinical trials for humans in July. The Korea National Institute of Health, a state research body, has selected Celltrion as a cooperation partner to develop vaccines and medicine.