Trials of Japanese anti-flu drug Avigan to begin on Philippine coronavirus patients
- News follows shipment of 199,000 tablets of the drug from Japan
- Expert says the testing process could take three to six months
The Philippine government said on Friday it was fast-tracking the trial, which involves a test group of 100 people.
The announcement came after a shipment of 199,000 tablets of Avigan, sent by Japan as part of a grant-in-aid, arrived in Manila on Thursday.
While the Japanese embassy has stressed the effectiveness of the drug – which was intended to treat an outbreak of novel or re-emerging influenza virus infections not treatable by other antiviral drugs – has not been established against the coronavirus, some experts are optimistic it could play a role in treating patients with Covid-19.
The Japanese government approved the manufacture of Avigan, also known as favipiravir, in 2014, but it never went to market.
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Health reform advocate Dr. Anthony Leachon said it was hoped that Avigan could be used to kill the virus in infected patients – contrasting it with a vaccine, which produces immunity in non-infected people.