CH409 | Heir

Centurion was in a frenzy of celebration.

The research team, who had succeeded in developing a treatment for MERS in such a short time, was finally taking a well-earned rest and savoring the joy.

“Congratulations!”

“Thanks to you, Chairman, we were able to develop a MERS treatment so quickly. Of course, we’ve only just cleared the first stage of clinical trials, but the results have been excellent.”

Dr. Kim Jang-woo’s voice cracked as he spoke.

He had practically lived in the lab, eating and sleeping there, never hesitating to work through the night in the push to develop the treatment.

“It was only possible because of you and the research team, Doctor.”

“To be honest, we didn’t do all that much. The data on the SARS treatment from the American pharmaceutical company was an enormous help. If we had started from nothing, it would have been impossible. But with the SARS treatment as our reference, we could make it happen.”

That credit went to David.

The American company had wanted to sell its SARS treatment for one hundred million dollars.

But with his silver tongue, David had managed to cut the price by half, securing it for only fifty million dollars.

Of course, fifty million was still no small sum.

But if it meant they could produce a MERS treatment in such a short time, it was more than worth it.

“When do you think the treatment will be ready for release?”

“Clinical trials go through four phases. We’ve only just finished the first. No matter how fast we move, we have to follow the schedule of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. So it will take quite a while before release. At the very earliest, the treatment won’t be available until after this year.”

All the keys lay in the hands of the regulatory body.

There was a reason why companies in the United States poured enormous sums into lobbying agencies like the FDA.

If the regulators dragged their feet, the launch of any new drug would inevitably be delayed.

In the pharmaceutical industry, the regulator was king.

But even the regulator was just another government office—and in front of the Blue House, it was the subordinate.

“The MERS treatment could be released as soon as next month.”

“Do you think that’s possible?”

“The ones under the most pressure right now aren’t us, but the Blue House. Their approval ratings have plummeted because of the MERS crisis. To recover, they absolutely need a treatment.”

There was no need to lobby the regulators or the Blue House.

From the start, making money off the MERS treatment had never been the goal. It was only meant to serve as the foundation for developing a COVID-19 treatment later on.

But the Blue House saw things differently.

They needed the treatment out as quickly as possible to overcome the current situation.

“If the Blue House throws its weight behind this, the regulators will move faster. Still, we can’t cut corners on clinical trial phases.”

“That depends on how desperate the Blue House feels the crisis is.”

He paused the conversation, picked up his phone, and called the head of planning.

“Notify the Blue House that we’ve succeeded in developing the MERS treatment. But also let them know that, because of the required clinical trials, the earliest release would be sometime next year.”

[Understood. I’ll pass it along right away.]

Taewoo Group’s head of planning had several hotlines at his disposal.

One of them connected directly to senior officials at the Blue House.

And since Taewoo Hospital had been designated as the lead hospital for handling the MERS crisis, he now had constant access to even higher-level contacts.

***

Two days later.

I was sitting with Vice Chairman Han, watching the breaking news.

It was clear from the report just how seriously the Blue House was treating the MERS crisis.

[The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has introduced an Emergency Use Authorization system for the MERS treatment. This system reduces the complex clinical trial process so that treatments can be released as quickly as possible. While the system has been in use by the U.S. FDA, this is the first time it has been adopted in Korea.]

A laugh slipped out of me at the broadcast.

Vice Chairman Han, too, seemed unable to close his mouth in disbelief at what was happening.

“It looks like the Blue House is truly serious this time. I never imagined they’d actually introduce an Emergency Use Authorization system.”

“The approval ratings have fallen so sharply that they had to do something. Of course, even with the EUA system in place, the MERS treatment can’t be released right away. It just shortens the clinical trial process from four stages down to three.”

The government’s approval rating had dropped to 29 percent.

The weaker they grew, the more desperate the Blue House became to turn things around.

“At the pace the Blue House is pushing, the trials will probably move quickly. And just as with the first phase, quite a few infected patients are volunteering to participate.”

“With public anger shifting toward the regulators, they’ll throw every resource they have into getting the treatment out faster.”

“It’s possible the treatment could be released within a month or two.”

The release of the treatment was now a foregone conclusion.

But that didn’t mean the government’s approval ratings would bounce back.

The public’s resentment had already sunk in deep, and even within the ruling party, a significant number of lawmakers had turned their backs on the president.

Exactly forty-one days.

Forty-one days after the Emergency Use Authorization system was announced, the MERS treatment was officially released.

I visited Centurion in person to see the situation for myself.

Under the leadership of Dr. Kim Jang-woo, production of the MERS treatment was underway.

“You’ve worked hard. Do you really need to be directly overseeing the production process as well?”

“I know full well that my presence won’t make the medicine any more effective. Still, I can’t help but find my steps leading me back to the factory again and again. Ha ha ha.”

Dr. Kim’s face looked bright and relieved.

The results of the second and third clinical trials, conducted jointly with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, had been excellent. He no longer had reason to be anxious.

“How much of the treatment are you producing?”

“Not that much. Since the number of domestic infections hasn’t exceeded two hundred, there’s no need for mass production.”

“It would be a waste to limit the treatment to the domestic market. That’s why we plan to begin the approval process with the U.S. FDA.”

“Do you think the notoriously strict FDA will grant approval so easily?”

Everyone in the pharmaceutical industry knew how demanding the FDA was.

Especially when it came to new drugs, the approval process in the U.S. was far more complex than anything in Korea.

“I don’t think approval will be too difficult. After all, the FDA can directly review results from a large-scale clinical setting here in Korea.”

“Well, that’s true. There’s no other country treating MERS on this kind of scale.”

There were infections in other countries besides Korea.

But nowhere else were treatment processes disclosed as transparently, or records and data preserved as thoroughly.

“And Taewoo Group has had a very good relationship with the FDA for years. At the latest, we should receive approval within this year.”

“Is that so? That’s wonderful news.”

“Even American pharmaceutical companies refused to develop a MERS treatment because it wasn’t profitable. The fact that a Korean company has done it instead is something the U.S. will welcome.”

It had been the same with the SARS treatment.

An American pharmaceutical company had started development, but eventually abandoned it because it wasn’t economically viable.

MERS was no different from SARS in that respect. The treatment had little commercial value.

But that didn’t mean there were no MERS cases in the United States.

The U.S. government still needed to secure a certain quantity of the treatment, and since we had solved that problem, they would welcome us with open arms.

“With over a hundred clinical cases among Korean patients, the FDA in the U.S. shouldn’t have much trouble granting approval.”

“This is also the perfect opportunity to push for FDA approval of our diabetes treatment alongside the MERS treatment.”

The diabetes drug was already undergoing the FDA’s approval process.

But the FDA’s schedule was notoriously backed up, and progress had stalled.

By submitting the diabetes drug together with the MERS treatment—essentially as a two-for-one package—we could secure approval much faster.

“The effectiveness of the diabetes treatment is outstanding, so we expect little trouble with FDA approval. The clinical trial results are excellent. There are some very minor side effects, but none harmful to health.”

“You’re referring to the weight-loss side effect, correct? In fact, that very side effect will make the drug even more attractive. Which brings me to another request.”

Dr. Kim Jang-woo was a man with strong pride.

And now I was about to make a request that might wound it.

“I’d like you to add more of the compound that causes weight loss, and develop a new drug based on it. Instead of just being used as a diabetes treatment, I’d like it to serve as a diet medication for weight reduction.”

“You mean you want me to create a new drug for treating obesity.”

“If the request is inappropriate, I apologize.”

“Not at all. I’ve long been concerned about the many diseases caused by obesity. Personally, I see obesity itself as a disease.”

His response was not what I expected.

I had been thinking of the obesity treatment in terms of beauty and appearance.

But Dr. Kim regarded it as a medical issue, a treatment for a disease.

“Then I’ll leave it in your hands. Once the diabetes treatment is approved by the FDA, please adjust the schedule so that the obesity drug can enter the approval process immediately.”

“That won’t be too difficult. It’s just a matter of slightly modifying the composition of an already developed drug. It can be done quickly.”

A pang of guilt ran through me.

Dr. Kim’s voice was still hoarse, and his body visibly drained, yet here I was giving him another assignment.

True, we were providing him with the best salary and benefits in the industry, but once this was all over, I planned to reward him with the largest bonus ever given.

***

A few days later.

David arrived in Korea.

It had been a while since we last saw him, so Vice Chairman Han and I held a small welcome gathering in Captain Kang’s office.

“Do you know how much I missed this place? More than my own hometown, honestly.”

“You’ve been living in that palatial office of yours, and you still missed this place?”

“An office isn’t good just because it’s big. If anything, it only makes you feel lonelier.”

We snacked on instant noodles while drinking beer.

After finishing his first can in one long gulp, David finally revealed the purpose of his visit.

“I came with some FDA officials. The U.S. is paying close attention to the MERS treatment. I barely had to lobby, and yet I managed to bring FDA staff here to Korea.”

“Has the Korean FDA agreed to this?”

“I heard the FDA and the Korean Food and Drug Administration have decided to secretly share clinical trial results. For the MERS treatment, it looks like a separate FDA approval process may not even be necessary. They’ll likely approve it based on how Korean patients respond to treatment.”

This was by no means a bad condition for us.

It was extremely rare for the FDA to take such a proactive approach.

“What about the diabetes treatment approval process?”

“Now that FDA staff are here, we can push harder. A diabetes drug developed by the same company that made the MERS treatment will naturally carry more credibility. Plus, we’re already producing insulin.”

If some startup had developed a diabetes treatment, the FDA would have been far stricter. Even if it met the technical requirements, they might have delayed approval until they were completely convinced.

But Centurion had built its credibility step by step.

First the swine flu treatment, then insulin production, then the MERS treatment, and now the diabetes treatment.

“Then do everything you can to get the diabetes treatment approved by the FDA before the end of the year.”

“The FDA is already planning to visit Centurion in person to review the MERS treatment. When that happens, you should present the diabetes treatment as well. If they can see the clinical trial results and supporting data with their own eyes, approval will come much faster.”

In the end, the fate of any new drug depended on the FDA’s approval.

If the diabetes treatment won approval, Centurion would grow wings on its shoulders—wings powerful enough to send both sales and stock prices soaring.