Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Monday that the government would consider granting conditional early approval for the oral COVID-19 treatment being developed by Shionogi & Co., with his remarks coming as the firm prepares to start a late-stage global trial.
Shionogi chief executive Isao Teshirogi told reporters that the company could file for early approval of the drug in Japan as soon as next week, and that it could deliver enough doses for 1 million people by the end of March.
Antiviral pills from Pfizer Inc. and Merck & Co. are already being used in several countries and have demonstrated efficacy in trials of adults with COVID-19 who are at risk of serious illness.