Daewoong Pharma gets CDSCO nod to test anti-parasite drug for COVID-19

Daewoong Pharmaceutical from South Korea announced that it has received Indian regulatory approval to test its anti-parasitic niclosamide drug to treat COVID-19 patients in an early-stage human trial.

The phase 1 trial, approved by India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), will involve around 30 healthy participants to test the safety and kickstart this month, Daewoong said in a statement.

The South Korean drugmaker is testing the drug in partnership with Mankind Pharma which will continue the second and third phases of trials in India on mild and severe coronavirus patients.

The trial results from India will be used for export permits in Europe and the US, said Daewoong. The company is also waiting for a separate phase 1 trial approval from South Korea, Nathan Kim, vice-president at Daewoong’s communications office, told Reuters.

Daewoong had said its anti-viral drug had completely eliminated the novel coronavirus from animals’ lungs during pre-clinical testing.