Tokyo: Medical experts in China have claimed that a new flu drug is
‘clearly effective’ in coronavirus treatment.
Is Favipiravir effective in coronavirus
treatment?
Favipiravir, the active
ingredient in a Japanese anti-flu medicine called Avigan, was trialled on 340
patients with the disease in China, reported dailymail.co.uk
Patients who took the flu
drug recovered quicker and showed greater lung improvement compared with
patients not given the drug.
The component is thought to
block the virus from replicating in the body.
Doses will be investigated
in more COVID-19 patients by Hong Kong researchers, who claim they will give
their pill ‘for free’ if studies show it is safe.
However, contradictory
clinical trials suggest Favipiravir will not be useful in patients who have
more severe illness.
As of yet, there isn’t a
treatment for the coronavirus pandemic. Most people have mild symptoms and can
recover at home within a week.
Almost 200,000 have been
infected and 7,900 have died.
It was given to 80 patients
in Shenzen and in Wuhan, where the novel coronavirus first emerged in December
2019.
Favipiravir has been
effective, with no obvious side-effects, in helping coronavirus patients
recover, Zhang Xinmin, an official at China’s Science and Technology Ministry,
told reporters at a news conference on Tuesday.
Oral medicine
An oral medicine using
favipiravir, developed by Hong Kong-based Sihuan Pharmaceutical, is also in
line to try on COVID-19 patients.
Led by Beijing Chaoyang
Hospital, a clinical trial is part of a programme by Sihuan and the Institute
of Microbiology Epidemiology, a division of the Chinese armed forces.
The study will involve 60
COVID-19 patients who will be given treatment for around 10 days. Larger trials
are expected later.
Sihuan executive director
Che Fengsheng has said, “After all the efforts and preparations, our group is
fully prepared for favipiravir’s raw material and preparation production.”
Worldwide death toll crosses 12700
More than 12,700 deaths
have been recorded since the virus first emerged in December.
There have been more than
32,485 infections reported in 165 countries and territories.
Italy has recorded 4,825
deaths out of 53,578 cases, with 6,072 recoveries.
China has 81,008 cases,
including 3,225 fatalities and 71,740 people recovered.