Japanese flu drug Favipiravir, which proved ‘successful’ in treating coronavirus patients in China, will be soon available on the Russian market.
Russian drug-maker ChemRar will bring the antiviral drug (brand name: Avigan) to medical stores within a week. "Together with the ChemRar Group, we are investing into a medicine that showed excellent results in China, and the first batch will arrive in one week," Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Chief Executive Officer Kirill Dmitriev said in an interview with Russia’s Channel One on Monday night.
Favipiravir—closely related to another antiviral drug, Ribavirin—is a pyrazine carboxamide derivative developed by Fujifilm Toyama Chemical of Japan, to act against many RNA viruses. The drug secured approval for treatment of influenza in 2014.
The Supervisory Board of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) recently approved the creation of a joint venture with ChemRar Group aimed at production of Favipiravir and other related innovative antiviral medicines. Russian interest in the drug was prompted by its ‘successful’ use in China.
Clinical studies held in Wuhan and Shenzhen seemed to have proved Favipiravir’s effectiveness against coronavirus. X-rays too confirmed improvements in lung condition. According to Dr Zhang, the condition of the lungs improved in 91 percent of the patients treated group, compared with 62 percent of those in the control group.
On March 17, Zhang Xinmin, head of China’s National Center for Biotechnology Development, said patients treated with Favipiravir turned negative for coronavirus in four days, whereas for those not receiving the drug it took 11 days to do so. “It has a high degree of safety and is clearly effective in treatment,” Zhang told media.
Favipiravir is approved China as a drug for the treatment of influenza. On 17 March 2020, Chinese health officials suggested that the drug seemed to be effective in treating COVID-19.
On 22 March Italy started experimenting with the drug against covid-19 trials in three regions, after cautioning people that the evidence in support of this drug is limited and preliminary.
In 2016, the Japanese government sent Favipiravir as an emergency aid to Guinea following the Ebola virus outbreak. However, its efficacy against Ebola in humans still remains unproven.
Prime Minister Abe announced on March 28 that Japan will “start to boost production and proceed with clinical research in cooperation with those countries that wish to join us.” He added that many countries had evinced interest in the drug.
Number of people hit with covid-19 has reached 1,214,466, according to the World Health Organization. The worldwide death toll has hit 67,767.
