Pre-clinical research on herbal medicine for COVID-19 treatment (VIPDERVIR) announced

Tuesday, 10/08/2021 16:39
The Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) announced results of pre-clinical research on a herbal medicine for COVID-19 treatment called VIPDERVIR at an online press conference on August 10.

Associate Prof, Dr. Le Quang Huan and his co-workers

VNA quoted that sayings of VAST Vice President Chu Hoang Ha that since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in early 2020, the academy has carried out studies serving COVID-19 prevention and control.

Recently, on June 28, 2021, a research team of the Institute of Chemistry under the VAST found a method to shorten the synthesis of anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug from Favipiravir.

Ha said the VAST's Institute of Biotechnology in collaboration with Vinh Gia Pharmaceutical JSC and the Vietnam Chemical Pharmaceutical JSC have researched and mastered a technology of making drugs for COVID-19 treatment from Vietnamese herbs called VIPDERVIR.

Participants at the press conference (Photo: VNA)

The National Ethics Committee in Biomedical Research under the Ministry of Health agreed to approve the Institute of Biotechnology’s clinical study protocol of VIPDERVIR medicine for COVID-19 patients at a meeting on August 7.

Head of the Traditional Medicine Management Department under the Health Ministry Nguyen The Thinh said VIPDERVIR is made from many Vietnamese herbs containing active ingredients with valuable biopharmaceutical properties.

According to Associate Prof, Dr. Le Quang Huan, who leads the project, the main effects of this drug are to prevent the adhesion of the virus to cells, blocks the ability of the virus to enter cells, inhibits the ability of viruses to multiply in cells, and activate immune cells so that they can recognize, block, and eliminate viral particles.

Vietnam receives additional 494,400 COVID-19 vaccine doses from COVAX

Vietnam received 494,400 doses of Vaxzevria vaccine (formerly known as AstraZeneca) from the COVAX Facility on August 9, UNICEF Vietnam announced.

Vietnam receives an additional 494,400 COVID-19 vaccine doses from COVAX (Photo: VNA)

This delivery brings the total number of vaccine doses Vietnam has received from COVAX to 9,175,700, reported VNA.

Previously, on August 2, an additional nearly 1.19 million doses of Vaxzevria vaccine arrived in Vietnam through the mechanism.

The latest batch was shipped from Laboratorio Universal Farma, a manufacturing facility in Spain, according to UNICEF.

Vaxzevria COVID-19 vaccine was co-invented by the UK’s University of Oxford and its spin-out company AstraZeneca, and was licensed by the World Health Organization (WHO) for emergency use. This vaccine has been successfully injected in Vietnam since March this year.

To date, Vietnam has administered nearly 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines. More than 1 million people have received two full shots.

COVAX is a global initiative between the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), UNICEF and WHO, to ensure fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.

Over the last months, CEPI, GAVI, WHO and supply partner UNICEF have been supporting Vietnam’s effort to deploy COVID-19 vaccination campaigns nationwide.

Vietnam - US trade exceeds US$50 billion in first half

Bilateral trade turnover between Vietnam and the United States in the first half of the year witnessed robust growth, climbing to over US$50 billion, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

Of the figure, Vietnamese exports to the US enjoyed a surge of 44.7% to US$45.58 billion compared to the same period from last year, accounting for 28.8% of the country's total export turnover, reported VOV.

Garments were the country’s key export item, raking in US$7.61 billion, up 23.1% year on year, or making up 49.7% of the country’s total garment exports.

Furthermore, the US also imported phones, computers, agricultural products, shoes, wooden furniture and seafood products from Vietnam.

Meanwhile, the initial six months of the year saw Vietnamese imports from the US surge by 9% year on year, reaching US$7.63 billion, or accounting for 4.8% of the country's import turnover.

The US remains Vietnam’s largest import market in the Americas region, with key import items including computers, electronic products and components, cotton, soybeans, scrap iron, and steel.

Throughout the 2016 to 2020 period, Vietnamese export turnover to the US witnessed a rapid increase of 230%, while exports from the US to Vietnam grew by more than 175%.

The US has developed into the largest export market for Vietnamese products, while Vietnam is the 10th largest trading partner of the US.

Experts note that there remains plenty of room to increase bilateral trade turnover as the United States Trade Representative (USTR) recently issued a formal conclusion of the investigation under Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act concerning the valuation of Vietnamese currency.

Under an agreement on the matter reached between the US Department of the Treasury and the State Bank of Vietnam, the USTR will not take any trade action against Vietnam.

As Chairman of the Vietnam Sub-committee of the Vietnam-US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has co-ordinated with various Vietnamese ministries and agencies to promote policy dialogue between the two sides, bringing about substantive results and helping increase bilateral trade.

BTA

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