GILD - Japanese-Developed Flu Drug Avigan Seems Effective Against COVID-19
Worldwide, there are now more than 222,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and the novel coronavirus has caused more than 9,000 deaths, according to the John Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center. But there is some good news coming out of China. Researchers have found that Avigan, a drug developed in Japan for the flu, appears to significantly speed up recovery from COVID-19.
According to a Chinese researcher, the drug was used in clinical trials in the regions of Wuhan and Shenzhen. Patients who took the drug turned negative for the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes the disease in a median of four days after they had become positive -- much faster than patients not taking the drug, who turned negative for the virus in a median of 11 days. Also, 91% of the patients who received the medicine saw their lung functions improve, compared to just 62% of those who didn't take the drug.
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