On Apr. 9, 2020, FUJIFILM announced initiation of a U.S. phase II clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of its influenza antiviral drug ‘Avigan’ Tablet (generic name: favipiravir) for patients with COVID-19, a respiratory infection caused by the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

Avigan, approved in Japan for manufacture and sale as an influenza antiviral drug, selectively inhibits RNA polymerase necessary for influenza virus replication.