Pharma firm Anges and Osaka University to begin testing coronavirus vaccine on animals (updated)
24/03/2020 01:36
(Adds share gain in second paragraph, details throughout)
TOKYO, March 24 (Reuters) - Japanese biopharmaceutical firm
Anges Inc 4563.T said on Tuesday that it and Osaka University
had completed development of a DNA vaccine against the new
coronavirus and that it would begin testing it in animals soon.
Shares of Anges surged as much as 17% in morning trade in
Tokyo, compared with a 5.3% gain in the broader market.
Anges, a drug-discovery company launched out of Osaka
University, announced its collaboration with the school on a
coronavirus vaccine on March 5. DNA vaccines are produced using
an inactivated virus and can manufactured faster than protein
based vaccines, according to the company statement.
Takara Bio Co 4974.T is in charge of production of the
vaccine and Daicel Corp's 4202.T gene-transfer technology is
also being utilized, the statement said.
Global pharma companies are racing to develop vaccines and
treatments for coronavirus, which has reached 350,000 cases
globally and resulted in over 15,000 deaths.
In Japan, market leader Takeda Pharmaceutical Co 4502.T is
working on a plasma-derived therapy, while the active ingredient
in Fujifilm Holdings Corp's 4901.T Avigan anti-flu drug is
being tested as a treatment in China. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N2BG4MK urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N2AX2BL
urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N2BB09V
(Reporting by Chang-Ran Kim and Rocky Swift; Editing by Kim
Coghill)
((ran.kim@thomsonreuters.com; +81-3-4563-2740;))