Celltrion will carry out another clinical phase 1 trial of its COVID-19 antibody treatment CT-P59 in South Korea, this time targeting confirmed patients showing mild symptoms, the company said Wednesday.

A day ahead of this announcement, the company’s Senior Managing Director Kwon Ki-sung said at the Bio Incheon Global Conference held in Songdo, Incheon, that the previously ongoing clinical phase 1 trial of CT-P59 in healthy people has wrapped up with confirmation of the drug’s safety.

The new phase 1 trial, to be carried out on COVID-19 confirmed patients displaying light symptoms or none at all will see CT-P59’s ability to neutralize SARS CoV-2.

Celltrion said the approval to carry out this trial came on Tuesday from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. It is now recruiting participants.

The trial will be conducted at three medical institutes -- Incheon Medical Center, Gachon University Gil Hospital and Inha University Hospital.

Celltrion is also undergoing a global clinical phase 1 trial of CT-P59 since gaining the go-ahead from the UK authorities in July.

For global clinical phase 2 and 3 trials targeting more seriously ill COVID-19 patients, Celltrion aims to have mid-term results by yearend.

The company said it will preemptively begin manufacturing the antibody from September, so that it loses no time in distributing the drug upon the final government approval.

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