Shionogi & Co., has announced that a joint venture between Shionogi and Ping An Life Insurance Company of China, , Ping An-Shionogi Co., Ltd. has initiated the submission of preparation materials for an application for new drug approval application for S-217622, an orally administered antiviral drug for COVID-19, to the Center for Drug Evaluation, NMPA (CDE).

Prior to the formal submission of the new drug application, Ping An-Shionogi has submitted a communication meeting application to the CDE for this therapeutic drug to facilitate the new drug application process.

S-217622 is an oral antiviral agent administered once daily for 5 days that is capable of suppressing the growth of SARS-CoV-2 by selectively inhibiting the 3CL protease. So far, S-217622 has shown the ability to rapidly reduce viral load, the good tolerability, and has been suggested to improve a composite score of five “respiratory and fever-related” symptoms. It is expected to contribute to the COVID-19 treatment in China, after approval.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on people’s lives globally, Shionogi will continue the development of COVID-19 therapeutic agents in Japan and other countries to contribute to the restoration of safety and security to society.