Djokovic holds 80 percent of biotech firm that develops Covid treatment
Copenhagen, Jan 19 (EFE).- Novak Djokovic, who was deported from Australia for not being vaccinated against Covid-19, holds 80 percent of QuantBioRes that develops a Covid-19 treatment, the Danish firm announced on Wednesday.
The biotech firm, registered in June 2020, plans to manufacture a treatment for the virus but not a vaccine, its CEO Ivan Loncarevic revealed to the BT newspaper’s website.
“We are ready to design a treatment that can block the infection mechanism between the coronavirus and our cells,” he told BT.
The firm plans to begin clinical trials in London next summer before applying for the relevant authorities’ approval.
The Serb, his wife Jelena and other investors joined the project thanks to Loncarevic’s contacts, the CEO added.
World No. 1 was expelled from Australia, where he was set to defend his Australian Open title, after losing a battle in local courts against the second cancellation of his entry visa.
The saga began on 5 January when immigration authorities canceled Djokovic’s visa upon arrival in Melbourne with a medical exemption from the vaccination mandate and he was detained.
A court order briefly released him on 10 January, before he was arrested again on Saturday after Australian immigration minister Alex Hawke used his special powers to cancel Djokovic’s visa.
Hawke’s decision, taken on the grounds of health and maintenance of order, was upheld by the Federal Court, which conducted a virtual hearing of the appeal filed by the defense team of Djokovic. EFE
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