Gov't already planning approval of antiviral drug Avigan in November

At this point it should be perfectly clear that all new products to be used against the pandemic have to be even more carefully approved than usual. The responsibility of regulating agencies like the PMDA is not only to be sure everything approved is safe and effective, but also to clearly project this to the public.

Stupidest idea, approving a drug before knowing what it actually does. Other "Drugs" are illegal with decades of knowledge of what they do. So stupid.

virusex,

With all due respect I am thinking the OPPOSITE, especially HERE in Japan. Simply, I DO NOT trust the J-govt to do what is right or in the best interest of JAPANESE PEOPLE, I have watched the govt DISREGARD the interests of it citizens now for over 30yrs & counting.

For any vaccine in Japan......I certainly will NOT be trying to get to the front of the line for shots!!

Lets hear what others think, how comfortable are YOU with the rushed vaccines......especially with the Olympics there in the background.......for me it is not s good feeling

@GW

I think on this one you agree : look at the verb on conjuguation. He doesn't seems pleased with the idea of rushing agreement as the trust of public is also part of the game.

Regarding vaccine, do not forget that it is an international one (several), so you are free to believe one government/institution ... you think is not going to take in consideration anything other than the safety of the people.

Even the Japanese media noted Abe's desire for a quick approval and his familiarity or relationship with a golfing partner, the CEO at FujiFilm, who had provided 3M¥ in political donations, though then cabinet secretary Suga denied anything inappropriate.

Avigan was already approved by Japanese regulators in 2014 as a backup drug in case a new kind of flu emerged, but it hasn’t been used in Japan for regular flu because studies in monkeys, rabbits and mice suggested that if a pregnant woman took the drug, it could cause deformities in the fetus or kill the fetus.

Studies are looking at the doses required, as well as the possibility of it being used in combination with other drugs, but some have not been published due to a lack of statistical significance.

A trial in Japan isn’t testing whether Avigan could cure coronavirus patients but whether it could suppress the virus—a lower bar to clear. 

Reported by WSJ March 6, 2020. https://www.wsj.com/articles/japan-tests-coronavirus-drug-despite-danger-of-birth-defects-11583492886

Useless since if no serious symptoms, you heal without any worry. Gaining 3 days less of symptoms compared to all the side effects of the drug is just playing the guinea pig.

Douzo

Anything to save the Olympics.

Avigan was already approved by Japanese regulators in 2014 as a backup drug in case a new kind of flu emerged, but it hasn’t been used in Japan for regular flu because studies in monkeys, rabbits and mice suggested that if a pregnant woman took the drug, it could cause deformities in the fetus or kill the fetus.

So Pregnant women shouldn't take it. But everyone else can.

ith all due respect I am thinking the OPPOSITE, especially HERE in Japan. Simply, I DO NOT trust the J-govt to do what is right or in the best interest of JAPANESE PEOPLE, I have watched the govt DISREGARD the interests of it citizens now for over 30yrs & counting.

and yet you still live here?

It’s simply panicking, what else? Announcing vaccines for months now, the truth is something like Trump’s experimental drug mix, with a main component like Remdesivir or here Avigan and then some surrounding medications, vitamins etc. In fact , they all still know nothing at all.

12 days versus 15 days is hardly a treatment. Was it put against wakame? mushrooms? garlic? Just placebo? 3 week approval for something so lightweight doesn't instill a lot of confidence

So the j gov is now back flipping on their original backflip, which is as expected.

With all due respect I am thinking the OPPOSITE, especially HERE in Japan.

So you think regulation agencies should not make sure they test properly products? or that they should do it in a shadowy and rushed way so they would be seen as insecure, even if they are? Because that is the opposite of what I wrote.

For any vaccine in Japan......I certainly will NOT be trying to get to the front of the line for shots!!

Which is perfectly fine, as long as you understand that you are still at risk of a disease that is related to a new problem almost every week, including long lasting pathology from people that went asymptomatic during the acute phase. You are not going free of risk, you are changing one risk for another (that can be argued is much higher).

Lets hear what others think, how comfortable are YOU with the rushed vaccines......especially with the Olympics there in the background.......for me it is not s good feeling

A vaccine with a 6 month long phase III trial is not a rushed one, currently used vaccines right now have been tested for equivalent periods without problems. People get confused because a vaccine for a new disease do not require years of development. There is no special difficulty to surpass, differently from the diseases that have been long present but for which the usual methods do not work.

The government is going to ram this through anyways, so just be sure to ask what drugs you're going to be treated with in case you're infected. If you don't want Avigan, tell the doc and make sure your family members are aware of your wishes.

This Avigan, from Fujifilm has already been approved for flu, no?

What happened to the idea of Remdesivir from Gilead?

Both are featured here:

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/backstories/1075/

I wonder how much better the treatments in hospital are now than in February. Is Beta- interferon being used to boost immunity ?

The generic drugs of Avigan have already been approved in Russia and India for treatment of Covid-19. (Favipiravir and Avifavir) However, I am not sure of effectiveness in both countries.

As with Abenomasks this is not about pride or or superiority complex or anything like that. This is about leveraging a money making opportunity. And responsibility will be avoided if anything goes wrong, just as with the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Nihonview.

Learn to use the quote and make it easy for readers to differentiate and read.

thank you Japan

Ah, Japan... never fails to never learn from its mistakes. Isn't this the fourth development Japan will have prematurely invested major amounts of money and time in? I guess when side-effects for THIS drug pop up, too, they can just put all the stock piles and promises in the dusty warehouse along with the SARS detectors and other things they rushed too quickly to buy into.