Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Saturday the government will begin clinical trials to formally approve the anti-influenza drug Avigan as a treatment for the new coronavirus.
Abe pledged at a press conference, "expand clinical research in cooperation with countries that want to [join the research], and start increasing drug production."
Abe said that the government has already started testing four drugs, including Avigan, to see if they are effective. He also said the drug Nafamostat, which is used to treat acute pancreatitis, will be tested with patients' consent.
Avigan is developed and manufactured by Fujifilm Toyama Chemical Co., which is based in Tokyo. The Chinese government believes the drug is effective in new coronavirus patients and recommends it as a treatment.
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