Tokyo.- The Japanese fujifilm group began a clinical trial to test the efficacy of their anti-influenza drug Avigan (favipiravir), to treat patients affected by the new coronavirus, following encouraging results from other studies conducted in China with that product.” The trial will be conducted in 100 patients by the end of June” in Tokyo, a Fujifilm spokesperson, known for its office and photography products, was reported on Wednesday to the AFP, although it is also present in the medical sector.
“We will collect the data, analyze it, and request approval” later if this Phase III clinical trial is successful, he added. Avigan will be given for up to 14 days to patients aged 20 to 74 years, all of whom are mildly viral pneumonia. Pregnant women will be excluded from the study due to the risk of side effects. This initiative comes after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared last weekend that his government was going to initiate regulatory procedures to obtain Avigan’s approval to treat the new coronavirus. The Chinese authorities, who have already conducted clinical trials with favipiravir, the active substance in that medicine, announced encouraging results last month. According to Beijing, favipirarvir reduced the healing time of coronavirus patients. Fujifilm did not participate, however, in these Chinese clinical studies. Avigan, part of the antiviral drug family, has been on a permit to sell and produce since 2014 in Japan for use against influenza. You may also be interested: Hungry elephants, the other victims of COVID-19Notwith that their use is restricted as a last resort if other antiviral treatments are not effective enough against new or resurgent influenza viruses. Avigan is not then available in pharmacy or hospitals, both in Japan and abroad, Fujifilm stated.Researchers and pharmaceutical groups around the world make a race against the clock to find an effective remedy against the disease COVID-19, both in the form of treatment and vaccine. The most immediate hopes are on medicines already approved for other diseases, such as AIDS antivirals and antimalarials such as hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine. Clinical studies in France and China on these antimalarials raised many hopes, but also many doubts from the scientific community. You might also be interested: Pornhub donates 50 thousand masks and videos free to New YorkShoesmen costumes donut medical uniforms to a hospital
