Gilead Sciences | COVID-19 | Remdesivir | Favipiravir | Japan | UK

Drugs enter into Phase III  trials on COVID-19 patients. Any guess on which drug entered into this segment. Yes, it is Favipiravir and Remdesivir that entered into phase 3 of human trials. As this phase is more important for the approval from healthcare authorities. Phase III clinical trials involving around 3000 participants. Selected participants have the condition that the new drug is to treat. This is a phase to evaluate how the new drug works when compared to the existing drugs in the same condition. The developers of Favipiravir(Avigan) have increased the production of antiviral drugs when they announced the phase iii clinical trial to test the safety and efficacy of the drug against COVID-19.

Avigan is approved to manufacture and sell in japan as an influenza antiviral drug. It is manufactured by Fujifilm Toyama Chemical Co.Ltd.

Mechanism of action: Favipiravir selectively inhibits the RNA polymerase of the influenza virus, this polymerase enzyme is necessary for viral replication, once the virus enters into the human host.

How this could be beneficial in COVID-19?

Yes, COVID-19 uses the same principle to replicate and categorized into the same single-stranded RNA virus like influenza. Therefore Researchers believe that Avigan may be effective in treating COVID-19.

Note: Avigan could be used only if the novel or remerging influenza outbreak occurs, and available antiviral drugs are not effective enough.

Avigan’s production and distribution are controlled by Japan's Health, Labor, and Welfare Ministry. It has been distributed in the market in Japan or overseas. Fujifilm is planning to co-operate with domestic and overseas partners to accelerate the production of their antiviral drugs.

Gilead Sciences also announced that it has initiated two phases of III studies to test the safety and efficacy measure of Remdesivir in patients with moderate to severe COVID-19.

Note: These two studies were given Urgent Public Health Research (UPHR) status by UK health authorities.

Researchers say that Remdesivir is an investigational nucleotide analog. It showed broad-spectrum antiviral activity both in vitro and in animal models against different types of emerging viral pathogens. These phase III clinical trials will help to generate crucial data on  safety and efficacy of the drug. The selected locations for phaseIII trials are mostly in the hospital of the UK.