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H1N1 flu became a manageable disease with the advent of the treatment Tamiflu. Therefore, it is important to develop a treatment for Corona. Domestic and foreign pharmaceutical companies are developing medicines for consumption, and the government is negotiating a plan to purchase in advance.
This is Yoo Seung-hyun, medical reporter.
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In 2009, influenza A H1N1, called 'swine flu', struck the world.
Tamiflu, an oral treatment rather than a vaccine, has been widely prescribed, and stability has been restored.
It was convenient because it was easy to take in the form of a pill.
This is the reason why domestic and foreign pharmaceutical companies prefer to use the oral method in developing a treatment for COVID-19.
[Authentic Command / Central Defense Headquarters responsible adjusted Team: We are hoping that would not be much help in any block of the epidemic if the for effective oral drug development -
government therapeutics eating currently overseas pharmaceutical companies and development He said he was negotiating a plan to purchase in advance.
This is because, like vaccines, there may be a shortage of supply as many countries go ahead with the purchase process.
Currently, multinational pharmaceutical companies such as MSD, Roche, and Pfizer are conducting phase 3 clinical trials for oral treatment.
The fastest is 'molnupiravir' from MSD.
I take it twice a day for five days, and the price of one tablet is estimated to be around 80,000 Korean won at present.
Urgent FDA approval is expected when the clinical trial results come out at the end of this year, and the US has already pre-purchased 1.7 million Molupiravir for $1.2 billion, or KRW 1.4 trillion.
The Korean government's pre-purchase budget for this year and next year is only 36.2 billion won.
For domestic treatment, 22 clinical trial plans, including 11 for oral treatment, have been approved.
(Video coverage: Kim Min-cheol, Video editing: Kim Ho-jin, CG: Lee Ah-reum · Jeong Hyeon-jeong)