Employees including Lee Woo-suk, CEO of Kolon Life Sciences, who were accused of suspicion over Invossa, an osteoarthritis gene therapy product, denied the charges at the first trial.

Attorney Lee's lawyer said today (29th) at the first hearing held at the 24th hearing of the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Agreement, "I cannot accept all of the charges."

The lawyer said, "We have already confirmed that there are no problems with Inbosa's safety at the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety." In the United States and Korea, stability, pain reduction, and functional improvement were all objectively verified. "

“In the future, who suffers from osteoarthritis around the world, and who is the first entrant in the fundamental therapeutics market to generate breakthrough income, and who will benefit if investors benefit?” "I can't."

Attorneys also claimed that in recent Corona 19 cases, Korean companies have released diagnostic kits and are praised around the world, and if Invosa is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it will boost the national pride.

Regarding the details of the charges, the prosecution criticized the prosecution by saying, "I want to ask if some of the unpolished public opinion is responsible for criminal charges." I did it.

In the process, the so-called 'garbage dumplings' case was taken as an example, and the company suffered a case even though it was later acquitted by unverified reports and prosecutions.

Inbosa is an injection solution for osteoarthritis gene therapy consisting of 1 fluid containing human chondrocytes and 2 fluid containing transformed cells.

In 2017, it was approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety as the first gene treatment in Korea.

However, it turned out that the transfected cells in the two fluids are not chondrocytes, but kidney-derived cells that are capable of causing tumors, and the item was revoked last year, leading to prosecution investigations.

Prosecutors have prosecuted the representative for violating the pharmacist law for the manufacture and sale of kidney-derived cells, even though the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety approved the registration of 2-liquid components as 'chondrocytes'.

In addition, during the approval process of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, false data that contained kidney-derived cells were submitted, and the listing of Kolon Tissue Gene, a subsidiary, was also applied to accusations of committing fraud by inducing approximately 200 billion won of subscription with a securities report using this data. .

There are also allegations of fraud, which cheated on invoicing ingredients and advertised false and exaggerated effects to receive about 7 billion won from patients.

In addition, seven charges were applied to this representative, including the charges of creating a false financial statement, interfering with the auditing of accounting firms by hiding the fact that the US clinical trials were discontinued or that the national subsidies of 8.2 billion won were made.

Kolon Tissuegene, chief financial officer (CFO) and indicted head of wool, who were indicted along with Lee, also denied all charges today.

(Photo = Yonhap News)