This electron microscope photo provided by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases shows the coronavirus isolated at the facility. (Photo Courtesy of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases)

       TOKYO -- A pharmaceutical company based in Japan's capital revealed June 29 that it applied with the health ministry to obtain marketing approval for a type of treatment that uses an "antibody cocktail," or a combination of two types of drugs, to treat COVID-19.

       The pharmaceutical seeks to gain special approval that enables the drug's usage to be authorized through more simplified procedures.

       Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. filed an application for a treatment combining the use of the two monoclonal antibody drugs casirivimab and imdevimab. The treatment was developed by Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche and U.S. pharmaceutical Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., and reportedly creates neutralizing antibodies that have the function of preventing infection by simultaneously administering the two drugs. Former U.S. President Donald Trump had taken the drug during treatment when it was under clinical trial, and emergency use authorization has already been issued for the medicine in the United States.

       According to Chugai Pharmaceutical, the medicine has been confirmed to be effective in reducing hospitalization and death risks by 70% in overseas clinical trials. It has been agreed with the company that if authorized, the Japanese government will secure domestic supplies of the medicine to cover the year 2021.

       (Japanese original by Hidenori Yazawa, Lifestyle and Medical News Department)

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