COVID-19: China says Japan-developed drug 'Avigan' works against coronavirus

A Japanese drug used to treat new strains of the flu has shown promise in being effective against the coronavirus in clinical trials. Medical authorities in China said the antiviral drug favipiravir, developed by a subsidiary of Fujifilm, has produced encouraging results in clinical trials. Shares in Nichi-Iko Pharmaceutical were also up about 15% on Wednesday after the news broke.