LifeStyle

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  40-year-old man becomes first volunteer to participate in COVID-19 vaccine test SEOUL -- A 40-year-old man became the first to participate in clinical trials for INO-4800, a COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by a U.S. biotechnology company. Seoul National University Hospital is recruiting some 160 healthy volunteers for clinical trials until October. Clinical trials are underway in South Korea to test the safety and efficacy of two vaccine candidates, including INO-4800 developed by Inovio Pharmaceuticals. The International Vaccine Institute (I 2020-07-15
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  Moon's s New Deal masterplan calls for 18 smart hospitals by 2025 SEOUL -- Under a "New Deal" masterplan unveiled by President Moon Jae-in, South Korea will create 18 smart hospitals by 2025, including three this year, that allow the real-time monitoring of patients and cooperation among medical institutions based on digital devices and advanced technologies such as 5G networks and Internet of Things. Moon said the masterplan requires a total investment of 160 trillion won ($133 billion), including 58.2 trillion won for dig 2020-07-15
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  Genexine's DNA vaccine candidate selected to get quick state support SEOUL -- South Korea's health regulatory agency selected GX-188E, a therapeutic DNA vaccine candidate for the treatment of cervical cancer, which is being developed by Genexine in phase II clinical trial, as an item that will receive state support for quick commercialization. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said GX-188E has been selected for its "bio-challenger" program that supports the rapid release of bio-medicine with innovative concept 2020-07-14
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  LSK Global PS supports IVI's clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccine in S. Korea SEOUL -- LSK Global Pharma Services, a leading contract research organization (CRO) in South Korea, partnered with a vaccine institute affiliated with the United Nations Development Programme to support clinical trials for a COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by a U.S. biotechnology company. Clinical trials are underway in South Korea to test the safety and efficacy of two vaccine candidates, including INO-4800 developed by Inovio Pharmaceuticals. The 2020-07-13
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  Clinical trials to test ten treatment and two vaccine candidates in S. Korea SEOUL -- Clinical trials are underway in South Korea to test the safety and efficacy of ten treatment and two vaccine candidates. South Korea's health regulatory agency said that five more are under review to see if they are suitable for a national campaign to contain a new coronavirus pandemic. Candidates for remedies listed by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety included camostat mesilate, ciclesonide, clevudine, nafamostat mesilate, ifenprodil, EC-18 (syntheti 2020-07-10
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  S. Korea eases tight regulations on use of propionic acid SEOUL -- South Korea's health regulatory agency eased tight regulations on the use of propionic acid, which is a naturally occurring carboxylic acid and has many important uses because of antibacterial properties. It will be recognized as natural when detected in small amounts. Propionic acid is used as a preservative and flavoring agent in packaged foods because it has antibacterial properties and prevents the growth of various molds. In agriculture and live 2020-07-10
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  Celltrion to begin clinical trial soon with candidate for antibody treatment SEOUL -- Celltrion, a South Korean bio firm involved in a project to find the treatment of COVID-19 patients, will begin clinical trials this month with the candidate for antibody treatment that was found to be more effective in neutralizing the mutant strain of the new coronavirus. Celltrion said it would begin clinical trials on July 16. Its goal is to mass-produce therapeutic antibodies in the first half of next year. The Korea National Institute of Healt 2020-07-09
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  Daewoong seeks Philippine approval to test tapeworm treatment medicine SEOUL -- Daewoong Pharmaceutical, a major bioengineering company in South Korea, has applied for approval by a Philippine health regulatory agency to test niclosamide (DWRX2003), a tapeworm treatment medicine selected as a candidate for COVID-19 antibody treatment. Daewoong said it has sent an investigational new drug (IND) application to the Food and Drug Administration of the Philippines. If approval comes, the company will go ahead with the first-stage cl 2020-07-08
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  Daewoong tests camostat mesilate for treatment of COVID-19 SEOUL -- Camostat mesilate, a potent serine protease inhibitor sold by Daewoong Pharmaceutical under the brand of Foistar, has been approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, a government public health agency, to go ahead with second-stage clinical trials to prove its efficacy in treating COVID-19. In clinical trials, 90 patients with mild or secondary symptoms will be given drugs for up to 14 days to determine the effectiveness of Foistar tablets, which are use 2020-07-07
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  Daewoong to stage clinical trials of COVID-19 treatment using stem cells SEOUL -- Daewoong Pharmaceutical, a major bioengineering company in South Korea, will carry out the first phase of clinical trials in Indonesia for COVID-19 respiratory symptom treatment using mesenchymal stem cells after drug efficacy tests using animal models have identified anti-inflammatory and antiviral effects. If the stability of DWP710 is confirmed in phase 1 clinical trials, Daewoong will go to the next stage of testing in South Korea 2020-07-06
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  Telemedicine available for Koreans staying abroad in third quarter SEOUL -- Telemedicine services are available for South Korean staying abroad, especially in overseas construction sites, in the third quarter of this year, thanks to concessions from doctors who have recognized the difficulties of countrymen stranded in countries with poor medical conditions following the death of three workers infected with COVID-19. Dozens of South Korean workers at overseas construction sites have tested positive for COVID-19. Three have died be 2020-07-06
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  French institute partners with island county for industrial and medical use of marine plants SEOUL -- A French marine biology and oceanography research center joined hands with an island county off South Korea's southwest coast to use marine plants such as kelp and hijiki for the development of functional cosmetics, health functional foods and medicines. The Station biologique de Roscoff (SBR) and Wando County will conduct joint research in the marine bio filed in EUREKA, an intergovernmental organization for pan-European research and development fun 2020-07-03
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  Yuhan to co-develop and sell GI Innovation's biologic for treatment of allergic diseases SEOUL -- Yuhan, a pharmaceutical and chemical company in South Korea, signed a contract with GI Innovation, a domestic bio-venture company, to co-develop and sell GI-301 in overseas markets except for Japan. GI-301 is a biologic for the treatment of allergic diseases, including atopic dermatitis and chronic idiopathic. Yuhan said in a regulatory filing that the contract amount is 20 billion won ($16.6 million). If Yuhan develops and sells GI-301 directly, it will 2020-07-01
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  Turkish company Ilko joins Genexine's COVID-19 vaccine development SEOUL -- Ilko Pharmaceuticals, a pharmaceutical company in Turkey, will work with Genexine, a clinical-stage biotechnology company in South Korea, for the development of GX-19, a DNA vaccine material for COVID-19 that has secured government approval to go ahead with clinical trials. Genexine said it has signed a memorandum of understanding with its Turkish partner, Ilko Pharmaceuticals, on cooperation in global clinical trials of GX-19 and the establishment o 2020-07-01
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  Quick COVID-19 pneumonia diagnosis using 2-D deep learning framework with CT image SEOUL -- A computed tomography (CT) scan can be used as an important tool to diagnose COVID-19. However, radiologic diagnostic support is not maintained 24 hours in many institutions and CT may show similar imaging features between COVID-19 and other types of pneumonia, hampering correct diagnosis by radiologists. A research team led by Lee Jin-seok, a professor from Wonkwang University College of Medicine, has used an AI technique to diagnose COV 2020-06-30
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  Remsima SC wins approval for additional indications in Europe SEOUL -- Remsima SC, the subcutaneous injection of Remsima, a copy of Janssen Biotech's Remicade treating rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease, has secured approval from a European watchdog for additional indications, opening the door for global use. Remicade (Infliximab) biosimilar exist in the form of conventional intravenous injection. The target of Remsima SC is patients who are forced to move on to expensive secondary treatments due to resis 2020-06-29
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  S. Korea bans overseas direct purchase of artificial tears SEOUL -- South Korea's public health watchdog took action to stop the sale of artificial tears through overseas direct purchase, citing a relevant law which bans the online distribution of drugs, in accordance with a public petition calling for an aseptic test to see whether such products in circulation were safe. Artificial tears are lubricating eye drops used to relieve dryness and irritation of the ocular surface. Those who wear contact lenses or have unde 2020-06-29
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  KT teams up with Samsung Medical Center to research MR solutions SEOUL -- Mixed reality (MR) combines virtual reality elements with human vision. Head-mounted devices use clear screens to give users an unobstructed view, but various technologies can be used to project images onto the screen. In the healthcare field, MR can provide new ways of interacting with patients. KT, a top telecom company in South Korea, teamed up with Samsung Medical Center based in Seoul to research MR solutions and new content that could be used to pre 2020-06-29
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  Hami's anti-obesity drug approved by FDA for rare pediatric disease program SEOUL -- HM15136, an innovative anti-obesity drug under development by Hanmi Pharmaceutical, a major drugmaker in South Korea, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a rare pediatric disease program. HM15136, a biologic long-acting analog of glucagon, is being developed by Hanmi as a novel drug candidate to treat obesity with a once-weekly injection. The first-stage clinical trial is under way in the U.S to prove the effica 2020-06-26
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  GC Lab Cell's American unit attracts $78 mln new investment from venture capitals SEOUL -- Artiva Biotherapeutics, the American unit of South Korea's cell therapy development company GC Lab Cell, has secured a new investment of $78 million from venture capitals to speed up the development of new therapies based on natural killer (NK) cells. GC Lab Cell said in a statement that the Series A investment would be funneled into the development of a next-generation NK cell therapy. NK cells, which are a type of lymphocyte (white blood cel 2020-06-26