Avigan Trial Won’t Finish Until July At the Earliest, Fujifilm Says

Fujifilm said the clinical trial of its influenza antiviral Avigan (favipiravir) as a treatment for COVID-19 patients won’t be finished until at least July, pushing back the possibility of Japanese approval even further.

A reduction in COVID-19 cases has created challenges in enrolling participants for the trial, which was originally expected to wrap up this month.

The Japanese government was initially aiming to approve the drug in May, but a lack of data showing its effectiveness dashed those hopes.