COVID-19: Patients with mild to moderate infection can now be treated with Japanese antiviral drug

KARACHI: Patients with mild to moderate Covid-19 infection in Pakistan can now be treated with Japanese anti-Influenza drug Favipiravir after dozens of Pakistani pharmaceutical companies started producing and marketing the antiviral drug under different brand names, officials and experts said on Saturday.

Although, some Infectious Disease (ID) specialists in the country were not much excited about promise of antiviral drug in treatment and management of Covid-19, some pharmaceutical scientists and pulmonologists believed early use of Favipiravir in all high-risk population could limit viral load and help preventing risk of hospitalisation and death. “Favipiravir is already approved in some countries, including India, the UAE and Turkey, for Covid-19 treatment. There is good evidence to suggest that the drug has shown rapid viral clearance and faster clinical improvement. "There are several ongoing clinical trials that will further substantiate the role of Favipiravir in Covid-19,” said Dr Hamid Merchant, a pharmaceutical scientist and subject lead in Pharmacy at the University of Huddersfield, England.

Dr Merchant emphasised that with any antiviral treatment, the key to success is to initiate the treatment as soon as possible, ideally within 24 to 48 hours of catching the virus. “A five-day course of tablets at home if initiated within 24 hours of catching a virus can prevent a severe disease and prevent hospitalisation of high-risk population,” he said, adding that Favipiravir is a broad spectrum orally active antiviral drug which has already been used in many countries for Covid-19 treatment since last year, and clinical trials in Russia and the United States (PRESCO) had already shown promising results.

He maintained that Favipiravir is not a new drug – it is an established drug against other viruses and was repurposed for Covid-19, therefore, its safety was already established pre-pandemic. “The drug is also available as oral dosage form, such as tablet, and hence convenience of a home treatment for many high-risk patients.” “Pakistan has already been late in exploring this option, but I am glad that they have finally decided to go ahead to try this drug,” Dr Merchant added.

Commenting on the availability of antiviral drug for the management of Covid-19 in Pakistan, an official of the DRAP said they have allowed over 30 pharmaceutical companies to manufacture and market the drug after it was found successful in management of Covid-19 in China, Russia, Turkey and its approval in Japan as antiviral against influenza viruses.

“But we have strongly restricted companies for presenting it as a definite treatment of Covid-19. It is still an experimental drug, which should be used under supervision of relevant medical experts,” the DRAP official added. Pakistani pharmaceutical companies said they were thankful to DRAP for the priority approval and registration of the antiviral drug in view of the pandemic, saying Covid-19 has played havoc in the entire world.

“Favipiravir data in studies shows promising results against the Covid-19. It has huge potential as there is no option available for Covid-19 treatment right now. Other treatments are expensive and prescribed to severe patients only but Favipiravir is being prescribed in mild to moderate patients. So an affordable treatment option is finally available for masses,” Haroon Qasim, MD of Pharmevo, one of the companies manufacturing Favipiravir, said.

“Currently, there are 92,000 active Covid-19 patients in Pakistan, out of which 5,600 are critical and Remedisvir can only be prescribed to those patients whereas 86,400 patients can be treated with Evopravir (Favipiravir) and save them from going into critical stage. This will help in reducing the overall burden on healthcare system of Pakistan,” he added. Some infectious disease specialists, who are involved with Covid-19 patients since the start of pandemic, were not very much excited about the drug and said they were looking for more data and evidence before prescribing the drug to people infected with SARS-CoV-2 that causes the Covid-19 disease.

“We are reviewing the literature now” said Dr Faisal Mahmood, Infectious Diseases expert at the Aga Khan University Hospital, adding that they were also looking for data on the basis of which DRAP registered the drug and allowed it for the management of Covid-19 in the country.