Avigan maker Fujifilm to seek virus treatment approval after trials

Why didn't they do the test abroad in a number of countries to give the results more validity.

They did (and are still doing in some places) but the Japanese market approval required tests in the country.

Why didn't they do the test abroad in a number of countries to give the results more validity.

This is good news! I am sure there will be some science illiterates who will say the drug is ineffective.

However, hydroxychloroquine results were still superior, in my opinion

If you think a company will only try to sell things that are actually effective you don't understand how business are done.

And it is difficult that HCQ result could be superior, It is worse than not treating the patients, the only way it could pretend to work was by systematically select the patients at much higher risk of death to the untreated group so the treated group would survive even with worse treatment just because of that.

Avigan could be faintly effective (reducing a week of hospitalization by 2-4 hours in average for the general population) and it would still be much better than HCQ (and the owners would seek approval for its use, even if for all practical purposes it would give not advantage).

Also can cause birth defects as it gets into sperm to give some problems in the future. But then nobody ever said life is risk free...

Once you're infected and it turns severe enough to end up in the ICU, just about anything with any promise is worth trying.

The maker of anti-influenza drug Avigan said Wednesday it will apply for the medication to be approved for treating coronavirus patients after trials showed it can shorten recovery time.

This is good news! I am sure there will be some science illiterates who will say the drug is ineffective.

However, hydroxychloroquine results were still superior, in my opinion.