GC Pharma has taken the first step to commercialize its new plasma treatment for Covid-19.

The company said Monday that it began to manufacture Covid-19 plasma therapy, GC5131A, for clinical trials at its plant in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, on Saturday.

GC Pharma said it has begun to extract plasma from blood donated by cured Covid-19 patients to manufacture treatment for clinical use. (GC Pharma)

GC Pharma is developing the drug as part of the state project with the National Institute of Health. GC5131A is a medicine made by extracting various antibodies contained in the plasma of patients who recovered from Covid-19.

GC5131A is considered the fastest available treatment among Covid-19 drug pipelines as it has the same therapeutic mechanism and production of medications commercialized by using normal plasma. The treatment is expected to enter phase 2 clinical trials most rapidly except the repositioned drugs.

The quick securing of plasma, which is the most significant factor in developing therapeutic agents, is believed to be a green-light of commercialization.

A total of 1,032 recovered Covid-19 patients showed the intention of donating their plasma. The company has collected 642 people’s blood as of 8 a.m. Monday.

GC Pharma expects to submit a plan for clinical studies by the last week of July and believes the drug can be used for various purposes, such as treatment and clinical injection.

“The plasma therapy is made with the people’s cooperation. We will develop the medicine as soon as possible to be used in the field,” said Kim Jin, head of the Medical Department of GC Pharma.

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