Hanmi Pharmaceutical, based in South Korea, has announced its global strategy and a solution package for coping with COVID-19 for the first time, along with their presentation on specific vision for the existing pipeline that will lead to innovative new drugs.

This strategy included the company's vision of using Pyeongtaek Bio Plant to contribute to COVID-19 pandemic situation as a CDMO through the vision for the production of DNA vaccines and mRNA vaccines, as well as release of COVID-19 & Influenza dual diagnostic kit and development of potential COVID-19 medicines.

Pyeongtaek Bio Plant possesses a GMP facility where bulk drug substances of mRNA and pDNA vaccines can be produced. This facility is also capable of manufacturing enzymes for RNA synthesis and processing (the raw materials used in the mRNA manufacturing) via process involving E. coli fermentation and purification. In addition, Hanmi Fine Chemical. Co., Ltd., a subsidiary company has the capabilities to produce various synthetic raw materials including nucleotides, synthetic drug substances (APIs), intermediates, and peptides, as well as lipids (raw materials used in mRNA vaccine formulation).

Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is developing a full package to handle the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID-19. Hanmi recently released 'Hanmi Cold-Mask™ nasal spray', whose main ingredient is λ-carrageenan (lambda-carrageenan) extract that can prevent respiratory viral infection. The company is also preparing to release a diagnostic kit that can simultaneously diagnose COVID-19 and Influenza.

In addition, the identification of preclinical candidate substances for the treatment of COVID-19 using new chemical entities (NCEs) and the thymosin (thymosin α1) hormones of PIKfyve inhibitors is still underway.