Sales of COVID-19 antibody therapy drug "Regkirona" developed by Celltrion have begun.
According to Celltrion Healthcare on May 10, it has signed a deal with the WAH Industries, Pakistan state-owned enterprise, to supply 100,000 vials of Regkirona as per a pre-agreed delivery schedule.
The first batch will be administered to Pakistani soldiers and the public.
Celltrion Healthcare has decided to send medical personnel to Pakistan to support education on doctors and nurses who will be in charge of administering Regkirona.
As of 2019, Pakistan has a population of 216.6 million, and recently has an average of about 4,000 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, and the cumulative number of confirmed cases has exceeded 850,000 people, causing serious difficulties due to infectious diseases.
The number of deaths from COVID-19 has also risen rapidly, surpassing 18,000. In particular, the daily average death toll, which was maintained at 5-60 earlier this year, exceeded 150 as of the end of March, making the situation worse due to COVID-19. In response, the Pakistani government has continued its intensive quarantine policy, announcing a "third wave" on the recent spread of COVID-19, and announcing closure measures to limit public movement.
Celltrion Healthcare expects Regkirona to improve the quarantine situation in Pakistan and greatly reduce the burden on local medical staff.
"We are currently discussing with various countries including Pakistan, Europe, Latin America, India, and other countries to export Regkirona," said an official at Celltrion Group. "Apart from this, the supply of Regkirona, which has been supported to curb the spread of COVID-19, will continue to be as stable as it is now."
In February, Regkirona was conditionally approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for use in patients with high-risk minorities. It was administered to more than 2,700 people in Korea.
Recently, a total of 1,300 global clinical phase III patients have been recruited and administered in 13 countries, including Korea, the United States, Spain, Romania, and the company is analyzing the data.
