Avigan, known generically as favipiravir, was developed in the late 1990s by a company later bought by Fujifilm as it moved into healthcare. The drug works by short-circuiting the reproduction mechanism of certain RNA viruses such as influenza. He said early tests showed that there were minimal side effects, although he added that pregnant women were prohibited from using it. Ivashchenko also said there was not enough data to say how effective the treatment would be for severely ill patients. The trials underway in Russia would fall into the first phase of that framework.

Source: bd News24 May 13, 2020 14:03 UTC