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WITH or without conducting clinical trials in the country, the Japanese flu drug Avigan could soon be used in the Philippines to treat coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
FDA Director General Eric Domingo said on Friday, September 25, 2020, that the drug manufacturer or distributor can now apply for registration in the Philippines.
“If the clinical trials that are being conducted in Japan are already conclusive, then they can use that for registration purposes here in the Philippines,” Domingo said during the Department of Health (DOH) online media forum on Friday.
“It will make it easier and faster to register the product,” he added.
Once the FDA issues a special permit, Avigan may already be administered to Covid-19 patients.
“We have compassionate permits for Avigan, for favipiravir,” Domingo said.
The Avigan tablets, good for 100 patients, arrived in early August, but could not be used because DOH is still waiting for all necessary legal documents to be completed before the trial begins.
“We are awaiting the finalization of the documents of the clinical trials agreements,” DOH Undersecretary María Rosario Vergeire said at the same press conference.
“So hopefully by next week, we can already have this,” he added.
Clinical trials for Avigan as a Covid-19 treatment will be conducted at four hospitals, namely the Philippine General Hospital, Sta. Ana Hospital, Dr. José N. Rodríguez Memorial Hospital, and Quirino Memorial Medical Center. (HDT / SunStar Philippines)
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