Mohammad Reza Shanesaz, the head of Food and Drug Administration of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FDA) announced on Friday that three local companies are ready to produce the antiviral drug Favipiravir, which is said to be effective in the treatment of COVID-19, Mehr News Agency reported.
He said that production of Favipiravir in Iran is in the phase of clinical trials and as planned the primary substance of its will be domestically produced in the near future.
Shanehsaz added that in case of any deficiency, Iran has imports of anti-coronavirus medicine on agenda, as well.
On April 8, the Iranian version of antiviral drug Favipiravir, which is said to be effective in treating the coronavirus, begun clinical trials through efforts of researchers at Shahid Beheshti Medical University.
Researchers at Shahid Beheshti Medical University launched small trials of the antiviral drug Favipiravir at Masih Daneshvari Hospital, which is one of the leading medical centers treating patients with the new coronavirus infection in the Iranian capital.
On April 5, the head of Iran’s Masih Daneshvari Hospital, Ali Akbar Velayati, said Iran has produced Favipiravir for the first time.
“Fortunately, Favipiravir was produced for the first time at Shahid Beheshti Medical University’s School of Pharmacy and has been made available to Masih Daneshvari Hospital to be used for the treatment of coronavirus patients,” Velayati said.
The new development came as US sanctions hinder the country’s access to drugs and medical equipment.
The flu drug was hailed by Chinese health officials as “clearly effective” when used on 340 patients in trials there that showed reduced recovery time and improved lung function.
