Ascletis (HK: 1672), a Hangzhou biopharma, reported that an initial group of 11 COVID-19 patients all recovered after being treated with a combination Ganovo® and Ritonavir therapy. Ascletis's Ganovo, the first approved direct-acting anti-viral agent developed by a China company, was launched in 2018 to treat hepatitis C, while ritonavir is a generic anti-retroviral that is used in AIDS/HIV combination therapies. Each of the eleven patients met China discharge standards for the coronavirus. The small clinical trial was led by Dr. Hongyi Chen, the director of the Ninth Hospital of Nanchang, who obtained approval from the ethics committee of the Hospital last month.

"We are pleased that our anti-viral drugs are contributing to fighting the epidemic of novel coronavirus and curing patients." said Dr. Jinzi J. Wu, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Ascletis.

Ascletis is developing a pipeline of drugs that address conditions in three therapeutic areas:

• HCV: one commercial product, one near commercial stage and two R&D stage candidates. Ganovo® (Danoprevir) is the first direct-acting anti-viral agent for hepatitis C, developed by a domestic firm in China.
• HBV: one commercial stage product and three R&D stage drug candidates. Pegasys® (Peginterferon alfa-2a) is a leading marketed pegylated interferon for hepatitis B&C partnered with Roche.
• NASH (Non-Alcoholic SteatoHepatitis): three R&D stage drug candidates against three different targets for combination treatments.

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Disclosure: none.