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COVID-19 favipiravir treatment production opens up in Thailand

Generics/General | Posted 04/06/2021 0 Post your comment

In Thailand, the patent application for favipiravir, a drug widely used to treat COVID-19, has been rejected. This now allows local generics production of the antiviral medication and human trials of a Thai-made version of the drug are underway.

On 5 May 2021, the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) Director-General Vuttikrai Leewiraphan announced the rejection of Fujifilm Holdings Corp’s patent application after finding it presented no new innovation. If Fujifilm fails to appeal against the decision within 60 days, the production of favipiravir will be open for generic drug producers in Thailand.

Following this, the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) announced the trials of a Thai-made version of the drug. The findings of this are scheduled to be submitted to the Thai Food and Drug Administration (Thai FDA) in June or July 2021. In addition, the GPO is collaborating with the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) and PTT Co Ltd to expand production of raw materials for favipiravir and other essential pharmaceuticals to an industrial scale.

Favipiravir is sold under the brand name Avigan and was developed in Japan and is now available in countries across the globe for use in the fight against COVID-19. It is used to treat serious symptoms, such as pneumonia. In India, Sun Pharma have already launched a generic version of favipiravir under the name FluGuard [1].

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Reference
1. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. Sun Pharma launches Ilumya in Japan and favipiravir in India [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2021 Jun 4]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/Generics/News/Sun-Pharma-launches-Ilumya-in-Japan-and-favipiravir-in-India

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