Japan donates Avigan, anti-flu drug, for trial on PH Covid patients
THE Japanese Embassy announced that the Philippines has been supplied with its anti-flu drug Avigan for use in the clinical trial of 100 Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) patients in the country.
In a statement, the embassy said that it has given the tablets to the Department of Health as part of its emergency grant aid to countries severely affected by the pandemic.
Avigan, which is developed by the Japanese conglomerate Fujifilm, has drawn interest from many countries for its potential to prevent replication of the virus, even if its effectiveness against the SARS-CoV2, the virus that causes Covid-19, has not yet been established.
The embassy said that the Japanese government has formed a cooperation with several countries, including the Philippines, to expand its research on the drug as treatment for the virus.
“Japan hopes that this ongoing cooperation with the Philippines would further contribute to the advancement of clinical research to contain the Covid-19 pandemic,” the embassy said.
In a press briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire confirmed the embassy’s statement, adding that the clinical trials for Avigan would begin this August pending approval of the legal requirements.
She added that the Food and Drug Administration and the DoH’s Ethics Board has given the green light for the clinical trials for the drug to proceed.