Japan Plans Deliveries of Anti-Flu Drug Avigan to 38 Countries to Treat COVID-19 - Reports
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi has announced that Tokyo will deliver supplies of the anti-flu drug Avigan, which has been touted as a treatment for COVID-19, to 38 countries, the NHK broadcaster reported on Tuesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th April, 2020) Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi has announced that Tokyo will deliver supplies of the anti-flu drug Avigan, which has been touted as a treatment for COVID-19, to 38 countries, the NHK broadcaster reported on Tuesday.
Motegi said that more than 70 countries had requested supplies of the drug, the broadcaster stated. In total, 38 countries, including the Netherlands, the Philippines, and Malaysia will initially receive a supply of Avigan, on the basis that these countries will send clinical trial data back to Tokyo, the broadcaster reported.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that Avigan offered the potential to treat the coronavirus disease and that early clinical trials had shown its effectiveness. Tokyo is already working to expedite government approval for Remdesivir, an antiviral drug that has previously been used to treat Ebola.
The Japanese government on Monday widened a ban on international arrivals to the country amid the COVID-19 outbreak to a further 14 countries, taking the total number of countries subject to entry restrictions to 87.