GC Pharma at work on new coronavirus treatments

GC Pharma said Monday that it has started working to develop vaccine and treatment options for Covid-19, the World Health Organization’s name for the novel coronavirus.

The Korean pharmaceutical company said it applied to participate in a “monoclonal antibody treatment pre-clinical candidate research program” run by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It also applied to the disease authority’s Covid-19 vaccine research program.

Although the company did not reveal any specific timeline, GC Pharma said it will expedite the treatment development efforts by securing effective antibodies from confirmed cases.

The company believes that the research efforts for Covid-19 will be helped by GC Pharma’s previous work on vaccine development.

According to the Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association, a total of 15 companies and four institutes are working to develop a cure for the coronavirus.

BY KO JUN-TAE [ko.juntae@joongang.co.kr]