Staff Reporter :
Bangladeshi Drug Company Beacon Pharmaceuticals Ltd claimed in a press release on Wednesday that 96 per cent coronavirus could be cured within 10 days by the application of their product Favipira 200.
Beacon said, in last two months the Favipira 200 was applied to 50 covid-19 patients of a project named ‘Dhaka Trial’ at Kuwait Bangladesh Friendship Government Hospital, Kurmitola General Hospital, Dhaka Mohanagar General Hospital and Dhaka Medical College and Hospital- in the capital. After four days, success was in 48 per cent cases and within 10 days it was 96 per cent.
The company also said, Favipira 200 was not applied to pregnant women and other critical patients. However, those who are not covid-19 positive, it is not for them, Beacon further said.
Favipiravir, sold under the brand names Avigan, Abigan and FabiFlu, is an antiviral medication used to treat influenza in Japan. It is also being studied to treat a number of other viral infections. Like the experimental antiviral drugs (T-1105 and T-1106), it is a pyrazinecarboxamide derivative.
It is being developed and manufactured by Toyama Chemical (Fujifilm group) and was approved for medical use in Japan in 2014. In 2016, Fujifilm licensed it to Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical Co. of China. It became a generic drug in 2019.
Professor Dr ABM Abdullah, Medicine specialist and personal physician of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said though there is no effective medicine for covid-19 treatment, Favipira 200 can be used for the deadly virus treatment. I applied to few patients and got positive result. But it would not be wise to take a decision after 50 patients trial.
The Ekushey Padak awarded Professor also warned that without registered doctor’s prescription it should not be sold and applie.
