MANILA – Manila City Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso announced Sunday that the Ospital ng Sampaloc has received the Japanese antiviral drug Avigan.
“Gagamitin po ito sa clinical trials sapagkat may potensyal po itong Japanese anti-flu drug na makatulong sa pagpapagaling ng COVID-19 patients,” he said.
“Nakatanggap po mula sa Department of Health (DOH) ng 976 tablets ang ating Ospital ng Sampaloc,” he added.
However, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire clarified that the said Avigan tablets were donations from China and not from Japan.
“Meron pong nag-donate sa atin ng I think 199,000 tablets of this Avigan medicine. Binigay ito through the National Security Council ng Pilipinas, at ibinigay naman ng National Security Council sa DOH para magamit. So itong mga Avigan na ito, atin pong idinistribute na sa iba’t ibang ospital through the compassionate special permit. Hindi siya kasama doon sa clinical trial. Chinese po, hindi po Japan dahil ito po ay dinonate sa atin through the National Security Council,” she said in an online media forum on Wednesday.
Avigan, also known as favipiravir, was developed by Fujifilm Toyama Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of Fujifilm Holdings Corp. - Florenda Corpuz
(Photo credit: Isko Moreno Domagoso Facebook)
