Can favipiravir help treat COVID-19?

Favipiravir, an antiviral drug used for influenza in Japan, is currently being studied in humans for treating COVID-19 in over 30 clinical trials (as of Octoboer 26, 2020). It is not known whether it is safe or helpful for this disease. Sometimes new treatment ideas turn out to help, and sometimes they are actually proven to be harmful. The best way to learn how to treat COVID-19 is to conduct randomized controlled clinical trials. You can search for in-progress clinical trials at trialstoday.org.

What is favipiravir used to treat?

For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation. Favipiravir, sold under the brand name Avigan among others, is an antiviral medication used to treat influenza in Japan. It is also being studied to treat a number of other viral infections, including SARS-CoV-2.

What is the experimental covid-19 drug freedomfavipiravir?

Favipiravir has so far been approved for experimental use among Covid-19 patients by the regulators of Italy and China. It has also been commercially launched by companies in Bangladesh. In Japan, it is being put to compassionate use, that is, when an unapproved drug is used on serious patients in the absence of other treatments.

Is favipiravir an effective antiviral against SARS-Cov-2?

Discovery of a new and specific antiviral agent against the SARS-CoV-2 would involve a long and arduous timeline. Hence, by default, repurposed drugs, already in use against other viral infections, have been pressed into quick service. One such drug is favipiravir, initially marketed as an antiinfluenza agent in Japan.

What is favipiravir (T-1105)?

A lead compound, A/PR/8/34, later designated as T-1105, and its derivatives were found to have antiviral activities. Favipiravir is derived by chemical modification of the pyrazine moiety of T-1105 (Fig. 1).2It has been approved in Japan for the management of emerging pandemic influenza infections in 2014.