(Eagle News) — Clinical trials in the Philippines for Japan’s antiviral flu drug Avigan (Favipiravir) will start on Aug. 10.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a television interview this was after the Philippines received the tablets, which the Japanese embassy said had “potential to prevent viral replication, even as its effectiveness against the novel coronavirus (has) yet to be established.”
The embassy said the tablets for 100 patients who are part of the trial in the Philippines were turned over to the Department of Health on Aug. 6.
Vergeire said the tablets–which reportedly cause birth defects— no longer need to undergo the Philippines’ regulatory processes as they have already been approved by Japan’s Food and Drug Administration.
The Japanese embassy said, however, that “each recipient government has acknowledged Avigan’s proper usage and prescription in view of its known adverse side effects.”
“Japan hopes that this ongoing cooperation with the Philippines would further contribute to the advancement of clinical research to contain the Covid-19 pandemic,” the embassy said.
On Thursday, COVID-19 cases in the Philippines topped 119,000, at 119460, becoming the country with the most COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia.
The Philippines overtook Indonesia, which reported 118,753 cases on Thursday.
Vergeire earlier, however, cautioned against making such comparisons, noting the different factors that should be considered–different settings, different responses, among others—in making them.
Nonetheless, the DOH acknowledged COVID-19 cases in the Philippines were increasing.
