Japan says to approve Gilead’s remdesivir to treat coronavirus patients

Japan announced on Tuesday that it would approve remdesivir, a antiviral drug made by U.S. firm Gilead Sciences, for the treatment of coronavirus patients in the country, according to The Associated Press.

The drug is expected to be the first approved coronavirus drug in Japan, ahead of the Japanese-developed anti-flu drug Avigan, which is also known as favipiravir.

U.S. President Donald Trump has early in March touted remdesivir, as a potential “game-changer” in the fight against the pandemic.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters on Tuesday that the country had been part of a multinational joint testing of remdesivir.

Gilead originally developed remdesivir as a treatment for Ebola.

Draft documents released accidentally on April 24 by the World Health Organisation of a Chinese clinical trial suggested remdesivir was not effective in severe cases cast doubts over its effectiveness. The drug also has been used for SARS and MERS, but it is still under investigation for coronavirus.

Japan is currently undergoing tests on Avigan, jointly developed by Fujifilm and Toyama Chemical Co., at Japanese hospitals. Experts say both remdesivir and favipiravir can be effective when used in an early stage of coronavirus.

“We will do our utmost to deliver effective drugs for the patients as soon as possible,” Suga added.