Turkey: Coronavirus drug waiting for trial permits

By Duygu Yener

ANKARA (AA) – A new treatment for the deadly coronavirus developed by Turkish healthcare institutions is now awaiting state permission for testing.

The drug, called TR-C 19, was developed by Istanbul-based Health Sciences University and VSY Biotechnology, a firm with offices in Istanbul, Europe, and India.

Research to find a cure for COVID-19 is going on worldwide, and Turkey has taken serious steps in this direction, said Dr. Cevdet Erdol from Health Sciences University.

Stressing the importance of collaboration between universities and industries, Erdol said: "All public and private institutions should take joint initiatives in difficult times like these."

In affiliation with the Health Ministry and 58 other university hospitals, Health Sciences University has worked day and night to fight COVID-19, he added.

-R&D showed positive results

Erdol said they have accelerated their R&D work in order to provide the drug to the public as soon as possible.

"As a result of our research and R&D work on the drug TR-C 19 produced in collaboration with the Health Ministry and the Health Institutes of Turkey (TUSEB), we neutralized the COVID-19 virus previously isolated in our labs. It’s ready to be tested on volunteer subjects," he said.

Adding that they are awaiting necessary permits from the Health Ministry, Erdol said they hope to be authorizing the drug soon.

-‘One of the most significant drug projects ever’

Dr. Ercan Varlibas from VSY Biotechnology said: "Our company has realized many R&D projects. We provided healthcare services to 66 countries with our products, representing our country around the world. TR-C 19 is among the most important and meaningful of all these projects.

“Our effective collaboration with Health Sciences University allowed us to bring this drug to be tested on COVID-19 patients very soon."

He added that the drug will hopefully be an effective treatment for the virus, and the company will do everything in its power to facilitate the process.

Both doctors said they will soon share detailed information about TR-C 19 with the public.

As of Wednesday, Turkey has reported 73,285 recoveries, 3,520 deaths, and 129,491 virus cases in total.

Since first appearing in Wuhan, China last December, the novel coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, has spread to at least 187 countries and regions, with the US and Europe the hardest-hit areas.

More than 3.6 million cases have been reported worldwide, with the death toll nearing 258,000 and over 1.2 million recoveries, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University in the US.

*Writing by Firdevs Bulut