Japanese Flu Drug 'Effective' Against Coronavirus In Clinical Trials, Chinese Officials Say

Topline: As the number of global coronavirus cases surpassed 200,000 as of Wednesday, a Japanese flu drug undergoing clinical trials in China as a possible treatment for coronavirus has effectively helped patients recover, Chinese officials told reporters according to multiple reports.

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• The drug, favipiravir, is sold under the brand name Avigan, and was developed by Fujifilm Toyama Chemical in 2014, according to Nikkei Asian Review.
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• Around 200 patients in the Chinese cities of Wuhan and Shenzen received the drug as part of the trial, Nikkei reported.
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• Results showed that patients tested negative for the virus in an average of four days, instead of the 11 days in the control group, according to Nikkei, citing Zhang Xinmin, director of the Chinese government's National Center for Biotechnology Development.
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• Zhang told reporters the drug "is very safe and clearly effective" in a Tuesday press conference, and added that there were no clear side effects.
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• Shares of Fujifilm spiked over 15% Wednesday in response, Reuters reported, but the company does not expect an earnings impact for the drug, because its Chinese license on the drug's key ingredient expired in 2019.
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• Japanese doctors are also testing favipiravir in clinical trials, but the drug was not as effective in patients with more severe symptoms, the Guardian reported, citing the country's health ministry.

Key background: A Fujifilm spokesperson told Nikkei that the company is not involved in the Chinese clinical trials and is currently evaluating them. In the meantime, there are reservations about favipiravir in Japan and South Korea, although Fujifilm is supplying Japan with the drug for clinical trials there, according to Nikkei, with those results not expected for several months. Studies have shown, Nikkei reported, that the drug can cause fetal deformities and deaths, and can be transferred in semen. And South Korea's ministry of health and food safety decided not to import the drug after infectious disease experts determined that there was not enough clinical evidence to prove its effectiveness against coronavirus, Nikkei reported, citing the country's Yonhap news agency. In the meantime, Chinese pharmaceutical Zhejiang Hisun was given the government's go-ahead to produce a generic version of favipiravir in February, and told Nikkei it can increase its output of the drug.

News peg: As of Wednesday morning, over 200,000 infections were confirmed worldwide, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, with over 8,200 deaths.

Tangent: The Japanese government supplied favipiravir in 2016 to help combat the Ebola outbreak in Guinea, according to the Guardian.

Further reading:

Coronavirus Drug Update: The Latest Info On Pharmaceutical Treatments And Vaccines (Alex Knapp)

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