Optical giants Fujifilm and Canon, through their respective subsidiaries, are doing what they can to help fight the current pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China.
And it looks like Fuji’s Avigan might be a drug that could help in the battle. But it still requires a little bit more study – and a lot wider distribution – before that can become a reality.
The information released to the press about Fujifilm’s Toyama Chemical Company product Avigan reads in part:
“Avigan Tablet was approved for manufacture and sale in Japan in 2014 as an influenza antiviral drug. The drug is to be considered for use only when there is an outbreak of novel or re-emerging influenza virus infections in which other influenza antiviral drugs are either not effective or insufficiently effective, and the Japanese government decides to use the drug as a countermeasure against such influenza viruses. Thus, while the Japanese government has a certain stockpile of the drug, Avigan Tablet has never been distributed in the market and is not available at hospitals and pharmacies in Japan or overseas.
Favipiravir, the active pharmaceutical ingredient of Avigan Tablet, has a mechanism of action that prevents the propagation of viruses. The drug may potentially have an antiviral effect on the novel coronavirus as it is classified into the same type (single-stranded RNA virus) as influenza virus.
However, at this stage, clinical application of Avigan Tablet to treat Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) is under study and preparation in order to obtain clear evidence of the drug's efficacy and safety.”
What do you think of Fujifilm’s and Canon’s involvement in the fight against COVID-19?
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[Fujifilm]
