In an encouraging development during the COVID-19 pandemic, a Japanese medical firm has reportedly entered into the final stages of human testing for its antiviral influenza drug to cure Coronavirus.
Fujifilm Toyama Chemical, owned by Fujifilm, has just started the Phase III human trials for its antiviral drug known as Avigan or favipiravir.
First approved in 2014 for manufacture and sale, Avigan has proven to be helpful in treating new or re-emerging influenza outbreaks in Japan when no other drugs seem to work.
Avigan stops RNA polymerase linked with the influenza virus from producing more copies in a human body. This feature of Avigan is expected to have an antiviral effect on SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
During Phase III, Japanese health authorities will evaluate Avigan’s effectiveness and safety as a possible treatment of COVID-19.
Fujifilm is hopeful that it will receive the Japanese government’s approval to allow it to manufacture Avigan to treat the Coronavirus. The company has already started efforts to ramp up production.
Fujifilm in an official statement has said:
Fujifilm will sincerely cooperate with the supply of Avigan to such countries in consultation and coordination with the Japanese Government to combat COVID-19 and contribute to tackling the spread of this global pandemic as soon as possible.
Last month, a Chinese official at Science and Technology Ministry, Zhang Xinmin, also said that Fujifilm’s Avigan has helped Coronavirus patients recover.
Zhang Xinmin further stated that during an 80-day participant trial carried out in Shenzhen, Avigan was able to slash the recovery time of mild and moderate Coronavirus patients from 11 days to 4 days.
It is important to note that Avigan is manufactured and distributed under the supervision of the Japanese government. The medicine is not available in any hospital or pharmacies in Japan or anywhere else in the world.
