- Efficacy against SARS-Cov-2
- Application under Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) has also been filed
Bukwang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (“Bukwang”) announced that patent application of its antiviral agent Levovir (active ingredient: Clevudine) against SARS-Cov-2 virus isolated from a sample of a Korean coronavirus infectious disease-19 (COVID-19) patient has been granted on 11st August. The patent application which was filed in March this year was proceeded under expedited examination system, making it possible to be registered very quickly. PCT application has also been filed on 5th August.
The registered patent was filed with Levovir’s experimental data in human lung cells (CALU-3 cells) where Remdesivir was used as positive control, and in non-human primate kidney cells (VERO cells) where lopinavir-ritonavir, and chloroquine were also tested.
Levovir is an antiviral agent fully developed by Bukwang. It was the fourth worldwide and the first anti-hepatitis B drug developed in Asia. Levovir is a nucleic acid analogue which inhibits the replication of viral genetic material by interfering nucleotide reverse transcriptase activity.
Because Levovir was approved and used as an antiviral agent, extensive data regarding its safety and delivery profile have been available, allowing Bukwang to obtain regulatory approval to initiate the phase 2 clinical study in Korea to treat Covid-19.
Bukwang also announced that the company is being very active in acquiring intellectual property and in expanding its pipeline through continuous R&D, collaboration, as well as financing investment activities.