An anti-flu drug by Japanese firm Fujifilm Toyama Chemicals has shown promise in treating the coronavirus, according to clinical trials in China. Favipiravir, sold under the brand name Avigan, can stop the virus’s genes from replicating within infected cells, and was used to combat the 2016 Ebola outbreak.
Now, an endorsement from officials in Beijing has boosted the drug’s profile.
Speaking at a news conference, Zhang Xinmin, director, China National Centre for Biotechnology Development, said the drug was “very safe and clearly effective”.
Xinmin referred to a clinical trial in Shenzhen, where those who took Favipiravir showed greater chest improvement and recovered (testing negative) faster than those who did not take it. The trial involved 80 patients in Guangdong of whom 35 received the drug. Those who got it took four days to test negative for the virus, compared to the control group who took 11 days, according to China Daily.
Stocks of Avigan’s parent company, Fujifilm Holdings, surged 15 per cent after Xinmin’s comments. However, the company at present only manufactures the drug on request of the Japanese government.
In 2018, a study recommended Favipiravir as a “potential countermeasure against new and emerging RNA viruses” as it showed potential as a broad-spectrum antiviral. However, doctors currently do not prescribe it for pregnant patients as it could cause potentially fatal abnormalities.
According to the Financial Times, a clinical trial is underway in Japan with 86 patients of the coronavirus. It is currently being prescribed as an emergency measure for patients in critical condition.
(The Week)
