Hyundai Bioscience announces XAFTY®, a groundbreaking broad-spectrum antiviral capable of treating COVID-19, mpox, and dengue

• Hyundai Bioscience presents development updates of its broad-spectrum antiviral at the "Disease Prevention and Control Summit 2024" held in Philadelphia, USA. 

SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Heung-Jeong Woo, a vice president of Hyundai Bioscience shared insights on the current state of antiviral treatments at the "Disease Prevention and Control Summit 2024." He highlighted the lack of effective therapies for global public health threats like COVID-19, dengue, mpox, HIV/AIDS, and influenza type A (H1N1), and expressed confidence in XAFTY^®'s potential to treat all of these.

Mr. Woo noted, "The traditional 'one drug, one disease' approach has been a failure, leaving us vulnerable not only to future pandemics but also to ongoing viral threats such as mpox, dengue, and COVID-19. The key to tackling these public health crises lies in developing 'one drug, multiple targets' antivirals, and XAFTY^® is the only solution currently available."

Hyundai Bioscience developed XAFTY^® by overcoming two major challenges associated with niclosamide, a compound previously known for its antiviral properties but hindered by poor absorption and short efficacy. Through proprietary drug delivery technology, Hyundai Bioscience has successfully reformulated niclosamide into XAFTY^®, a new oral antiviral drug.

Through clinical trials, animal testing, and cell experiments, XAFTY^® has proven effectiveness against various viral infections, including those where niclosamide has shown efficacy. The company has successfully demonstrated XAFTY^®'s safety and efficacy in treating COVID-19 and is currently undergoing Phase 3 clinical trials with high-risk groups of COVID-19 patients.

Hyundai Bioscience conducted an animal study comparing the efficacy of TAMIFLU^® and XAFTY^® against H1N1, a strain of influenza A with future pandemic potential. The results showed that XAFTY^® considerably reduced influenza virus levels compared to TAMIFLU^®. This finding is the first to reveal that XAFTY^®, which has already proven effective against COVID-19, also demonstrates in vivo efficacy against respiratory viruses from different families.

Dr. Heung-Jeong Woo of Hyundai Bioscience, during a roundtable discussion following his keynote presentation, stated, "XAFTY^® is currently in phase 3 clinical stage for COVID-19, particularly targeting high-risk groups. It has also been confirmed to be effective against mpox and dengue fever, diseases for which there are currently no treatments available despite being public health emergencies. As a result, XAFTY^® is the only antiviral capable of treating both mpox and dengue fever at this time. Accordingly, Hyundai Bioscience is in close discussions with countries facing public health crises due to dengue fever and mpox, to expedite the supply of XAFTY^® to patients suffering from these diseases."

Hyundai Bioscience is in close talks with several countries facing public health challenges from mpox and dengue to supply XAFTY^® swiftly. CEO of Hyundai Bioscience USA, Jason Kim reflected on the event, stating, "This summit has brought international recognition to XAFTY^® as the only broad-spectrum antiviral capable of addressing both current and future viral threats.

About Hyundai Bioscience

Hyundai Bioscience is a biotechnology company that develops new drugs based on its novel drug delivery system technologies to deliver active ingredients safely and efficiently to targeted areas of the human body. Founded in 2000, Hyundai Bioscience focuses on repurposing or expanding indications of existing drugs using its proprietary organic-inorganic hybrid technologies. Hyundai Bioscience is a public company listed on KOSDAQ (symbol: 048410) in South Korea.

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SOURCE Hyundai Bioscience