COVID antibody kits are entering the market of clinics

Hospitals become the main market for COVID-19 antibody kits

The impact of the ban on pharmacy sales will be limited to a part

Although the sale of COVID-19 antibody diagnostic kits to pharmacies has been banned, diagnostic kit companies are speeding up into the market, especially in hospitals and clinics.

 

It is explained that the industry's impact from the government's measures is not significant because it has focused on the hospital and clinic markets rather than pharmacies in the first place.

 

Although it is said that there is a limit to accurately confirming the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine, related companies are expecting to expand the market in the future due to the increase in vaccination rates.

 

◆The impact of banning the sale of pharmacies will be limited to some companies According to the diagnostic kit industry on the 20th, the government's ban on selling antibody diagnostic kits at pharmacies is not expected to have a significant impact on the entire antibody diagnostic kit market.

 

This is because most companies have focused on the hospital and hospital markets, not pharmacies.

 

Industry officials say that only a small number of companies have supplied products to pharmacies.

 

According to the MFDS, 14 products from 11 companies were approved as antibody diagnostic kits as of the end of last month.

 

However, about two of them were distributed to pharmacies.

 

◆The vaccination rate is close to 70%.

 

The demand for antibody diagnostic kits is increasing On the contrary, some companies are expressing expectations in that demand for on-site is expanding as the vaccination rate increases.

 

As of midnight on the 20th, the complete COVID-19 vaccination rate in Korea reached 66.7%.

 

It is expected to exceed 70% within this month.

 

In particular, it is reported that the demand for the vaccine effect has increased further recently as the effect of the COVID-19 vaccine has dropped sharply within two to six months.

 

It is confirmed that front-line hospitals are using antibody diagnosis kits as non-reimbursed items for confirmation of vaccine effects.

 

◆Pharmaceutical companies are expressing regret over the government's position of "not being able to confirm the vaccine effect" However, the fact that the government reiterated that "there is a lack of medical evidence for the purpose of confirming the vaccine effect" is a common concern among diagnostic kit companies.

 

The diagnostic kit industry has focused on exploring related markets around the time when the domestic complete vaccination rate exceeded 10%.

 

They expected the market for neutralizing antibody diagnostic kits to confirm vaccine effects to grow explosively.

 

However, in July, the government said, there was a lack of medical evidence for the purpose of confirming the effectiveness of the vaccine.

 

The government reaffirmed its position by banning the sale of pharmacies.

 

◆It is impossible to determine the vaccine effect by simply producing neutralizing antibodies There are three types of domestic approved diagnostic kits.

 

It is a PCR, antigen, and antibody diagnostic kit.

 

PCR and antigen diagnostic kits are used to confirm suspected COVID-19 patients.

 

Antibody diagnostic kits are used to determine if people have been infected with COVID-19.

 

People who have been infected with COVID-19 develop binding antibodies, which is the principle that antibody diagnosis kits check whether or not binding antibodies are produced.

 

The diagnostic kit industry focused on the fact that it can also check whether neutralizing antibodies are produced with antibody diagnostic kits.

 

Neutralizing antibodies are antibodies that occur after vaccination.

 

They have argued that their own clinical results can determine whether neutralizing antibodies are produced with 90% accuracy.

 

The government is in a position that it is difficult to determine the effectiveness of the vaccine simply by producing neutralizing neutralizing antibodies are produced.

 

This is because in order to check the vaccine effect, it is necessary to determine how much neutralizing antibodies are formed in the body.