MANILA/TOKYO – Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu and Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. on Thursday agreed to enhance collaboration amid the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic, and to foster with regional partners a unified approach to the post-COVID-19 “new normal.”

TOKYO – The Japanese media have reported on Wednesday that according to sources, Avigan was not effective in treating new coronavirus patients based on interim results of clinical trials.

MANILA/TOKYO – The Philippine Health Department has allocated P18 million for the clinical trials of Japanese antiviral drug Avigan as a possible treatment against the new coronavirus, President Rodrigo Duterte said in his latest report to Congress.

TOKYO – While Japan aims to approve the use of Avigan (favipiravir), an antiviral drug developed by Fujifilm Toyama Chemical Co., against the new coronavirus in the country within this month, researchers are also trialing three other country-made drugs as possible treatments for COVID-19.