The parent company of Santa Ana-based Fujifilm Irvine Scientific may have a treatment for the coronavirus.
Avigan, also known as favipiravir, is a flu drug produced by Japan-based Fujifilm Toyama Chemical. Favipiravir has been used in the past to treat the seasonal flu in Japan with good results as patients exhibited mild to moderate symptoms.
While the coronavirus is not comparable to influenza, both are viruses and reproduce by the same mechanism.
Chinese officials said last week that Avigan has been used in a drug trial for coronavirus patients and it was effective in reducing the number of illness days to four compared to the mean of 11 days ill without treatment. Shares in the parent company rose 15% after the comments.
In the Chinese trial involving 340 patients, 91% saw lung capacity improvement, compared to 62% improving without Avigan. However, the Japanese ministry strongly cautioned against the use of Avigan in more severe patients, indicating it wouldn’t be effective. Still, Japanese doctors are treating coronavirus patients between 70 and 80 years old who show mild to moderate symptoms with Avigan in the hopes it will benefit them.
Although Irvine Scientific has pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in Santa Ana, as well as Irvine, it’s not currently producing the drug. The company declined to comment on whether it may produce the drug locally.
A March 19 tweet from the company said it is “committed to take whatever actions we can to continue delivering products and services to our customers.”
