Japan will accelerate the production of Avigan, an experimental drug to treat covid-19 infection, which will be made available for free to countries that request it for testing, was announced this Sunday.
Avigan has favipiravir as an active ingredient, used experimentally by Japanese health authorities to treat flu and which is being tested to treat symptoms of respiratory diseases caused by the coronavirus.
According to Japanese government spokesman Yoshihide Suga, about 30 countries have already expressed their willingness to test the drug in the treatment of people infected with the new coronavirus.
Among these countries, the United States stands out, which has been receptive to finding a drug that effectively combats the symptoms of infection.
In 2014, favipiravir, known in Japan under the trade name Avigan, obtained government approval for production and sale as a flu medicine, but has never been marketed.
However, the drug has been used experimentally in cases where other antivirals have not worked against certain types of flu, and has proved effective against covid-19, according to a study by the University of Wuhan, the Chinese city where the infectious outbreak began. .
Avigan’s production will be financed by a financial stimulus package created by the Japanese government, which is expected to be approved by Parliament earlier this week.
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