Despite the ambivalent sentiments about COVID-19 vaccine development, South Korean biologics company Celltrion said it was determined to continue with the project.

Celltrion on Thursday said it was now screening to select the most effective antibodies to neutralize the virus behind the pandemic with the Korea Centers for Disease Control.

The company aims to finish the work in a couple of weeks, after which it will start mass production of the therapeutics for clinical studies while simultaneously carrying out preclinical studies on lab animals.

Celltrion said that it is committed to making the vaccine available for human use as soon as possible.

“With our state-of-the-art and independent R&D capabilities in monoclonal antibody biologics, we are working around the clock to screen the most potent candidates to enter clinical testing in July,” a Celltrion spokesperson.

“We will expedite the clinical trials to help the world get this pandemic under control.”

By Lim Jeong-yeo (kaylalim@heraldcorp.com)