Clinical studies show drug to treat novel coronavirus pneumonia looks promising

Chinese researchers have completed clinical studies of favipiravir, which shows promising clinical efficacy in treating novel coronavirus pneumonia, Zhang Xinmin, head of the China National Center for Biotechnology Development, said on Tuesday.

Comparative experiments have shown that patients treated with favipiravir recovered more quickly and their lung conditions were better improved than the control group, he said.

Some pharmaceutical enterprises have already obtained drug approval from the State Food and Drug Administration for mass production in February so the supply of favipiravir is guaranteed, he said, adding that researchers have already recommended the drug be included in the treatment plan as soon as possible.