Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, a prominent Indian pharmaceutical firm, reports that the oral antiviral drug originating in Japan, Favipiravir, prevents the replication phase of SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind COVID-19. The findings associated with a Phase 3 clinical trial are published in the peer reviewed International Journal of Infectious Diseases. TrialSite has consistently chronicled the unfolding Favipiravir research across nations. The drug has been approved to treat COVID-19 in Russia (Avifavir) and other countries in Eastern Europe. The drug is in use in China and India on an emergency use basis to deal with the pandemic. Approved in Japan in 2014 for influenza (Avigan), the drug was intensively tested by the U.S. government in 2015 with over $200 million worth of research leading to no disclosed results. In India, the market for early stage onset COVID-19 heats up as multiple firms are producing generic products based on Favipiravir—which went off patent in 2019. With a few clinical trials occurring in North America based on Favipiravir (e.g. Stanford University, Boston Medical Center and others), TrialSite suggests that national research agencies still consider supporting research into lower cost investigational products that potentially help the patient with that critical early onset COVID-19 stage on an outpatient or prescribed home-care basis.
