A panel of the Japanese health ministry granted fast-track approval to Shionogi & Co.'s oral COVID-19 drug on Tuesday.
The medicine for coronavirus patients with mild symptoms will be the country's first domestically produced oral drug against the virus.
The decision comes as Japan has recently seen a rebound in the number of daily coronavirus cases. The government has eased restrictions on people's activity including removing its cap on daily foreign arrivals, while also starting a subsidy program for residents to boost domestic tourism.
