Turkey to debut anti-coronavirus drug, ventilator at Military Medical Webex fair

Turkey has recently developed its own hydroxychloroquine drug and ventilators. Specs of both will soon be unveiled at a virtual fair.

During the Military Medical Webex, which will take place online on June 9 and 10, Turkey will go into detail regarding its efforts against the coronavirus pandemic.

The fair is going to be attended by delegations from over 40 militaries around the world.

Turkey is set to produce its own hydroxychloroquine sulphate, which is sought after by many countries for use in the treatment of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

A Turkish pharmaceutical company announced earlier it has developed a generic drug containing hydroxychloroquine sulphate, which doctors have been using to treat COVID-19-related symptoms.

As pharmaceutical companies around the world race to find a cure for the deadly virus, Turkish Koçak Farma company official Cem Koçak said that they too are playing their part.

Koçak noted that Turkey actively contributes to global efforts in finding a cure for coronavirus via its domestic companies and said the use of the hydroxychlorine-based malaria drug has been successful in the treatment of COVID-19 for the time being.

Underlining that the currently used hydroxychlorine-based drug is from a foreign pharmaceutical company, Koçak said: "We took action to generate a domestic product. We began our journey and our research to not only meet the country's medical needs but also to contribute to the country's economy."

"As a result of the studies, we have obtained the permit for our product with the active ingredient hydroxychloroquine sulphate used in the treatment of COVID-19," he added.

In the course of just two weeks, Turkey has succeeded in launching the manufacture of mechanical ventilators critical to the treatment of COVID-19, drawing worldwide attention.

All countries face medical equipment shortages, including personal protective equipment, respirators and masks.

With severe shortness of breath a hallmark of the disease, the coronavirus pandemic spurred demand for medical ventilators, resulting in a fresh impetus for defense, technology and automotive companies across the globe to research and manufacture the devices.

U.S. President Donald Trump even used the U.S.’s Defense Production Act to push General Motors into producing mechanical ventilators.

In Turkey, three companies – unmanned aerial vehicle producer Baykar, defense giant Aselsan and major appliances firm Arçelik – have decided to support the mass production of technology firm BIOSYS' mechanical ventilator, the Biyovent.