S.Korea's Daewoong Pharma gets India nod to test anti-parasite drug for COVID-19

Daewoong Pharma

11/08/2020 05:38

By Sangmi Cha
    SEOUL, Aug 11 (Reuters) - South Korea's Daewoong
Pharmaceutical Co Ltd  069620.KS  said on Tuesday it received
Indian regulatory approval to test its anti-parasitic
niclosamide drug to treat COVID-19 patients in an early-stage
human trial.
    The phase 1 trial, approved by India's Central Drugs
Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), will involve around 30
healthy participants to test safety and kickstart this month,
Daewoong said in a statement.
    The South Korean drugmaker is testing the drug in
partnership with New Delhi-based Mankind Pharma Ltd, which will
continue the second and third phases of trials in India on mild
and severe coronavirus patients.
    Drugmakers worldwide are scrambling to develop treatments
for the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, which has
killed nearly 739,000 people globally since it first emerged
late last year in China.
    The trial results from India will be used for export permits
in Europe and the United States, said Daewoong. The company is
also waiting for a separate phase 1 trial approval from South
Korea, Nathan Kim, vice-president at Daewoong's communications
office, told Reuters.
    Daewoong had said its anti-viral drug had completely
eliminated the novel coronavirus from animals' lungs during
pre-clinical testing.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N2DL1N5
    

 (Reporting by Sangmi Cha; Editing by Rashmi Aich)
 ((Sangmi.Cha@thomsonreuters.com; +82 2 3704 5646; Reuters
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