Celltrion’s COVID-19 Antiviral Treatment Enters the Next Phase of Development

• Celltrion initiates the second stage; selecting the therapeutic antibodies which are most potent for neutralising the infection
• Celltrion completed the first phase of screening 300 potential antibody candidates to treat COVID-19
• Celltrion aims to initiate a clinical trial in July 2020

INCHEON, South Korea--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Celltrion Group today announced its successful transition to the second phase of development for an antiviral treatment to fight the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, following the completion of the first phase of securing 300 different types of antibodies that bind to the antigen last month. The library of antibodies was created using the blood of recovered patients in Korea.

In cooperation with the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), Celltrion will be screening the antibodies to find the ones most effective in neutralising SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19. Celltrion anticipates the candidate screening for the therapeutic monoclonal antibody (mAb) will be complete by mid-April, sooner than originally expected.

Ki-Sung Kwon, Head of R&D Unit at Celltrion said, “Once we have selected the one that most effectively neutralizes the COVID-19 virus among hundreds of the screened antibodies, we will roll out mass production of the therapeutic antibody treatment, with a view to starting human trials this July. Due to the urgent need for a COVID-19 antiviral treatment, we have expedited the overall development process of our antiviral therapy to help infected patients fight this emerging virus and halt further spread of the disease.”

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Notes to Editors:

About Celltrion Healthcare
Celltrion Healthcare is committed to delivering innovative and affordable medications to promote patients’ access to advanced therapies. Its products are manufactured at state-of-the-art mammalian cell culture facilities, designed and built to comply with the US FDA cGMP and the EU GMP guidelines. Celltrion Healthcare endeavours to offer high-quality cost-effective solutions through an extensive global network that spans more than 110 different countries. For more information please visit: https://www.celltrionhealthcare.com/en-us

About COVID-19¹
Coronaviruses (CoV) are a family of viruses that lead to illnesses from the common cold to severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). Novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for the disease COVID-19, this new strain, discovered in 2019, is behind the ongoing pandemic outbreak.

Common signs of COVID-19 include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In severe cases, infection can lead to pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and ultimately death.

Please find up to date information about the outbreak via the World Health Organization at https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENT

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References

¹ Coronavirus. World Health Organization. Available at: https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus Last accessed: April 2020

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