Singapore company to start clinical safety trials in humans for potential COVID-19 treatment

"SINGAPORE: A Singapore-based company will start human clinical trials next week for a treatment that could slow down the progression of COVID-19 in patients, help them recover faster, and provide temporary protection against the coronavirus.

In a media release on Wednesday (Jun 10), Tychan, a Singapore-based biotechnology company, said it has received approval from the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) for the Phase 1 clinical safety trial in healthy volunteers.

The firm has developed TY027, a monoclonal antibody that specifically targets SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Monoclonal antibodies can be isolated and manufactured in large quantities to treat diseases.

Presently, there is no proven antibody-based treatment for COVID-19. There is also no licensed vaccine to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection, Tychan said.

Tychan may become the first firm to start its human clinical trial in Singapore, although efforts in developing an antibody-based treatment are underway here and globally. As of Tuesday, Tychan’s was the only registered clinical trial internationally for such a treatment.

Depending on the results of the trial, there are various ways it can be used, said Professor Ooi Eng Eong of Duke-National University of Singapore (Duke-NUS) Medical School, who is also the firm’s co-founder."

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