The lead researcher in the coronavirus trial for flu drug Avigan says it’s too early to make a call on whether it works and shrugged off negative reports about the interim results, saying patients are still being enrolled.
The final results of the trial for the antiviral, made and sold by Fujifilm Holdings Corp., are expected around July, Dr. Yohei Doi said in an interview. Doi is leading the testing at Fujita Health University.
Doi’s comments came amid conflicting reports over the drug’s efficacy. Local media reports Wednesday said the off-patent drug was not effective against COVID-19 based on an interim analysis of Doi’s trial, but Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said he expects the drug to be approved for use this month.