Japan gives up approving Avigan in May for coronavirus treatment

Japan has given up on its target of approving Fujifilm Holdings Corp.'s anti-influenza drug Avigan this month as a treatment for coronavirus patients after an interim clinical test report showed no clear efficacy, health minister Katsunobu Kato said Tuesday."We will continue the clinical study and clinical tests (of the drug) in June and onwards. There is no change in our policy to approve the drug swiftly if its efficacy (against the coronavirus) is confirmed," Kato told a press conference.There is a belief that Avigan, also known as favipiravir and developed by Fujifilm Holdings' unit Fuj…READ FULL ARTICLE