Where will the new Covid pill be developed most? Instead of hot spot pandemic, it will be a place where the virus has not gained a sustainable footing: China.
That’s the view of Tong Youzhi, Chief Executive Officer in Kintor Pharmaceutical Ltd., a Chinese company that works on such products. After successfully loading viruses with bulk testing, rigid border supervision and sidewalks, China is now uniquely susceptible to new pathogens and requires access to effective care if the outbreak deteriorates.
“China is a virgin for viruses, with so few people exposed,” said Tong in an interview with Bloomberg News. “Urgency for effective covid drugs is not less in China than anywhere else if we want to regain our pre-pandemic life.”
There are concerns about the potential of Covid to destroy the patchwork system of Chinese embroidery so the country’s border is open, said Tong. The population has a little natural protection from previous infections, and the vaccine is less effective in preventing viral transmission in clinical trials.
Proxalutamide Drug Experimental Kintor – Now studied in the final test in A.S. and Brazil – can be taken orally and easily made in large quantities, valuable attributes in pandemic.
Kintor, based in Suzhou, in Jiangsu Province of East China, began studying last year’s compound to treat prostate cancer. It inhibits men’s hormones known as Androgens, which are believed by some researchers can be bound at the risk of being severe covid.
An initial study in Brazil found it reducing hospitalization in those who have covid mild and death among those who are very sick, the results that some experts say too well to become true. Larger and more stringent trials are taking place at A.S., China and elsewhere to verify findings, and positive results will open the way for approval, said Tong.
Kintor’s shares have increased more than six times in the last 12 months, cover at HK $ 59.00 per share on Tuesday.
Most efforts to develop Covid China drugs focus on antibody therapy that neutralizes the virus. Emergency approval for maintenance in China is expected to come soon after December, local media reported.
