Hyundai Bio's Covid-19 pill with anti-inflammatory drug proven effective in animal test

[Source: Hyundai Bioscience]

Hyundai Bioscience’s investigational oral antiviral CP-COV03 (niclosamide) against Covid-19 in combination with anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone has demonstrated efficacy in an animal model, the company said on Monday.

CP-COV03 is a modified version of widely used deworming drug niclosamide in terms of absorption and drug concentration retention in blood.

Hyundai Bioscience received approval for a Phase 1 clinical trial of CP-COV03 to evaluate safety in 18 healthy volunteers in Korea last month.

Steroid-based dexamethasone is a synthetic corticosteroid that suppresses inflammation.

Hyundai Bioscience said that the treatment effect was 2.1 times higher in hamsters infected with Covid-19 after treatment with niclosamide-based CP-COV03 plus dexamethasone than in those with dexamethasone alone.

Antiviral drug remdesivir or anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone are currently used to treat patients with severe Covid-19.

Hyundai Bioscience plans to file for a Phase 2 clinical trial with health authorities upon the completion of the Phase 1, with a goal of completing the Phase 2 in the first half of next year.

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