PRESS CONFERENCE: Osamu Okuda, President & CEO at Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
14:00-15:00 Friday, August 27, 2021
The speech and Q & A will be in Japanese with English interpretation
Does the world still need a drug to treat COVID-19?
Efforts to control the COVID-19 pandemic have focused on vaccines. Is there still a need for drugs to treat COVID-19 infections? Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. believes there is. The company has asked Japan's Ministry of Health to grant special approval for emergency use for its antibody cocktail of casirivimab and imdevimab to treat COVID-19 cases. The combination of casirivimab and imdevimab--two monoclonal antibodies designed to block the ability of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 to enter human cells. Chugai claims the antibody cocktail significantly reduced the risk of hospitalization and death in high-risk, non-hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in a global phase III clinical study.
Chugai President and CEO Osamu Okuda will appear at the FCCJ to explain the benefits of the drug, the challenges of gaining approval, and how it might contribute to controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. Okuda has been with Chugai since 1987 and rose through the ranks, becoming president in 2020 and adding the title of CEO in March.
How to attend: Please register at front@fccj.or.jp with your name, the name of your media outlet, and FCCJ membership number. Due to space restrictions attendance will be limited to 20 people. Doors open 30 minutes before the event. Please sign in, giving your name and contact details at the reception, and have your temperature taken before proceeding.
How to watch online: https://www.youtube.com/c/FCCJchannel/live
Livestreaming of the press events will be available and video of this event will be uploaded to our FCCJ YouTube channel.
How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/ew2VP7YtmUF5xxtf7
Members watching the event online can submit questions for the speakers in advance using this submission form (English only).
TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Doors open for TV crews only at 45 minutes before the event. There will be five positions available for livestreaming.
Professional Activities Committee