https://youtu.be/jpTLTdIcoDA
(Eagle News) –After several months of delay, the Department of Health said that the clinical trial for the anti-flu drug Avigan as a possible treatment for COVID-19 could start this week
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that there are just a few documents being finalized before the actual clinical trial starts.
Vergeire said that the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on the Avigan trial for UP Manila has already been signed, and that the data base for information sharing on the Avigan trial is also being prepared and finalized.
Once all of these are completed, the trial will start, she said.
The trial for Avigan, a brand name for Faviprafir which is an antiviral medication used to treat influenza in Japan, has been suspended several times following delays in the ethics review by hospitals identified for the trial.
Before this, there are four hospitals tagged for the Avigan trial, according to the DOH. These are the Philippine General Hospital, Sta. Ana Hospital, Dr. Jose Rodriguez Memorial Hospital, and Quirino Memorial Medical Center.
In Japan, possible side effects of the drug Avigan include birth defects as there is reportedly evidence that its use during pregnancy may result in harm to the baby. Studies including one published by the Journal of Virus Eradication said that “given the limitations of the evidence and unresolved safety concerns, caution is warranted in the widespread use of favipiravir against pandemic COVID-19.”
(with a report from Madelyn Villar Moratillo, Eagle News Service)
