Fujifilm's COVID-19 drug enters testing in US; will be free to 20 countries

Fujifilm's COVID-19 drug gets clinical tests in US; will be offered free to 20 countries
(Image credit: Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)

Clinical testing for Fujifilm's COVID-19 treatment drug, Avigan, has officially commenced in the United States, following the testing that began in Japan at the end of March. Further, the Japanese government has pledged that the drug will be made freely available to 20 countries to aid in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

Fujifilm announced today the initiation of phase II clinical trials in the US to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Avigan (which also goes by the generic name favipiravir). The trial will take place in collaboration with Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and will involve some 50 patients infected with COVID-19.

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James Artaius
Editor

James has 22 years experience as a journalist, serving as editor of Digital Camera World for 6 of them. He started working in the photography industry in 2014, product testing and shooting ad campaigns for Olympus, as well as clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal. An Olympus / OM System, Canon and Hasselblad shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and he loves instant cameras, too.