Chong Kun Dang gets green light for Australian drug trial

Korean drug firm Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical said Monday that it has won approval from Australia's drug authorities to begin a phase three clinical trial for coronavirus treatment with its acute pancreatitis drug.

The drug, Nafabeltan, will be administered to patients as part of the Australian government-led clinical study to find a Covid-19 treatment. The drug is currently used as a blood anticoagulant and acute pancreatitis treatment.

The Australian Covid-19 Trial, also known as Ascot, is a randomized control trial that involves 2,500 patients in over 60 hospitals across the country alongside 12 hospitals in New Zealand with the participation of global pharmaceutical firms.

The study is organized by the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity under the University of Melbourne, Chong Kun Dang said.

Previously, Nafabeltan won approval for clinical trial studies in four other countries — Korea, Russia, Mexico and Senegal.

Chong Kun Dang said Nafabeltan showed the most potent antiviral efficacy against the Covid-19 virus when it was administered to Covid-19 patients with severe symptoms of pneumonia.

The approval comes after other major local players, including GC Pharma, already starting production of their supplementary treatments for Covid-19.

Yonhap