Japan joins US in approving use of Remdesivir to treat coronavirus

Japan on Thursday joins the United State of America (USA) in providing guaranteed cure for the ravaging coronavirus in the world. Japan, accordingly, approved the use of antiviral drug, remdesivir, for the treatment of coronavirus patients. The Japanese government also gave assurance on approval of another drug, Avigan, later this month for the treatment of coronavirus.

US regulators last Friday approved the use of remdesivir for emergency for emergency treatment of severe cases of COVID-19. Japan emerged the second country in the world to endorse remdesivir for treatment of coronavirus.

It was gathered that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had last week disclosed that the government was considering speedy green light to the experimental drug developed by Gilead Sciences in US.

The US had approved the use of the drug after a major clinical trial showed remdesivir, originally developed to treat Ebola, reduced the recovery time of some patients by a third. It noted that the difference in mortality rate was not statistically significant.

A health, labour and welfare ministry official in Japan had highlighted: “Remdesivir was approved under exceptional measures.

“It was our country’s first such approval for the treatment of coronavirus patients.”

A Japanese firm, Fujifilm Toyama Chemical, had developed Avigan for the treatment of coronavirus.

A top government official, Yoshihide Suga, gad disclosed that the government “aims to approve it this month” if a clinical trial involving 100 patients proves effective.

Avigan generically known as favipiravir, was said to be approved for treatment in Japan in 2014 though for flu outbreaks not effectively handled by available medications.

It was said that the drug is not available in the market but can be manufactured and distributed only when requested by the Japanese government.

It was explained that Favipiravir prevents a virus from reproducing inside a cell and is taken orally as a pill.

Remdesivir is applied through injection.

Nigeria which also handled the Ebola outbreak is not rethinking the approach adopted to eradicate Ebola. Former Governor Babatunde Fashola, Minister of Works and Housing, is not even in the Presidential Task force on COVID-19. The Nigerian government is not even thinking of research and discovery.