Japan Set To Approve Antiviral Drug Remdesivir


Japan set to approve antiviral drug remdesivir

Japan's health ministry appears set to approve antiviral drug remdesivir as a treatment for new coronavirus patients.

The fast-track approval follows in the footsteps of the United States, which authorized last Friday the emergency use of the drug to treat coronavirus patients.

Remdesivir was being developed by US-based Gilead Sciences to treat people infected with Ebola.

An advisory panel to the health minister is to hold a meeting late Thursday to discuss an application the pharmaceutical company filed on Monday.

The ministry is to swiftly approve the drug through special, highly simplified procedures only available for drugs in urgent need that have already been approved in other countries by the end of the day.

Remdesivir will be the first drug approved in Japan to treat coronavirus patients. Expectations are high the drug can cure patients in serious condition.

At the same time, its supply and accessibility are expected to be limited.

For the time being, the Japanese government is to distribute the drug mainly to medical institutions treating patients with severe symptoms.

Remdesivir is said to have side effects, including kidney failure. There is a mixed view among members of the international community over the effectiveness of the drug.

Japan is to continue collaborative clinical trials it is conducting with international partners.