Hyundai Bioscience has announced the initiation of clinical research for a universal antiviral treatment candidate for dengue and similar diseases in Vietnam, starting on March 30. The trials will be conducted concurrently at two hospitals: the National Tropical Medicine Hospital and the Tien Giang General Hospital, which plan to have a 'Site Initiation Visit' meeting on the same day, followed by patient registration and the first administration of the treatment in early April. The company emphasizes the significance of this clinical trial in addressing a critical medical demand for effective dengue treatments, as there are currently no approved therapies available.

The chosen antiviral candidate, named Xafty (CP-COV03), is based on niclosamide and incorporates proprietary drug delivery technology. Although dengue fever is a major infectious disease that causes large-scale outbreaks in tropical and subtropical regions, it lacks an approved treatment, making this clinical trial a pioneering effort in evaluating the potential of Xafty. The initial phase of the study will focus on adult patients infected with the dengue virus to assess the safety and efficacy of the antiviral treatment, utilizing a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design. Future clinical studies are also planned to explore the drug's applicability against other viruses, including Zika, COVID-19, and influenza.

The National Tropical Medicine Hospital involved in the trials is a significant facility housing over 1,000 beds and operates under the Ministry of Health of Vietnam, specializing in treating and researching major infectious diseases like dengue. The president of Hyundai Bioscience stated that the commencement of clinical trials in Vietnam represents a vital turning point, advancing the development of universal antiviral treatments from conceptual research stages into an actual global clinical operation phase.