China reports today that Japanese flu drug is 'clearly effective' in treating coronavirus

According to authorities in China, a drug used in Japan to treat new strains of influenza has appeared to be effective in coronavirus patients.

An official at China’s science and technology ministry, said favipiravir, developed by a subsidiary of Fujifilm, had produced encouraging outcomes in clinical trials in Wuhan and Shenzhen involving 340 patients.

Patients who were given the medicine turned negative for the virus after an average of four days after becoming positive, compared with an average of 11 days for those who were not treated with the drug.

In addition, X-rays confirmed improvements in lung condition in about 91% of the patients who were treated with favipiravir, compared to 62% or those without the drug.