Securing both MSD and Pfizer edible corona treatment
Inflow of 140 billion won investment, accelerating advancement into North America [Edaily Kim Yu-rim] Bio stocks that have fluctuated sharply over the past week can be selected as Celltrion and Medipost. Celltrion showed strength as news of Pfizers generic production of COVID-19 treatment and Medipost welcomed Sapofund as the new owner.
Celltrion share price trend over the past three months. According to Marketpoint on the 20th, Celltrion rose 7.8% over the past five trading days. After the market close on the 17th, it was announced that Celltrion had signed a license agreement with the UN-affiliated international drug patent pool for the production of Pfizers edible COVID-19 generic drug Paxrovid.
Celltrion is the only listed company that has secured all two types of generic licenses for oral treatment drugs, including MSDs Molupiravir license obtained in January, and Pfizers Paxrovid.
The generic market for edible COVID-19 treatment, which will be supplied to low- and middle-income countries through international organizations this year, is expected to reach about 1.7 trillion won. Based on this license agreement, Celltrion Group plans to produce and supply Pfizers generic drugs for COVID-19 treatment to up to 95 low- and middle-income countries.
Celltrion Group plans to actively participate in the project to expand the accessibility of edible medicines, while accelerating the development of its own inhaled cocktail COVID-19 antibody treatment to establish a countermeasure against COVID-19 with a “two-track” development-supply strategy.
Medipost 3-month share price trend. Medipost is up 25% in the last five trading days. Medipost announced on the 17th that the largest shareholder would be changed from founder Yang Yun-sun, founder, to private equity fund management companies Skylake Equity Partners and Crescendo Equity Partners. In addition, the two private equity funds decided to invest a total of 140 billion won through third-party allocation of funds.
Medipost plans to invest 85 billion won in CDMO companies in North America with the invested funds. Clinical trials of Cartistem are also being promoted. According to the company, Cartistem, the worlds first treatment using stem cells derived from other peoples umbilical cord blood, can suppress inflammation as well as fundamentally regenerate damaged cartilage tissue. Phases 1 and 2 have been completed, and Phase 3 is being prepared.
Clinical trials of ‘SMUP-IA-01’, a cell therapy for patients with knee arthritis in the early to mid-stage, are also underway. It is aimed at patients at an earlier stage than Cartistem who require orthopedic surgery. Medipost is determined to enter the US osteoarthritis treatment market by using 55 billion won of its investment for US clinical trials.
