Fujifilm gives up developing Avigan drug for COVID treatment

Fujifilm Holdings Corp. said Friday it has stopped development of its anti-viral drug Avigan for treating COVID-19, saying it was unable to confirm its effectiveness in a clinical trial.

Avigan, initially developed as a drug for influenza, emerged as a potential treatment for the novel coronavirus in the early stage of the pandemic.

The Japanese camera and medical equipment maker applied for government approval in October 2020. But a panel of experts at the health ministry did not authorize it, saying it was hard to confirm its effectiveness with the available data at the time.

© Kyodo News