Japan firm seeks approval for COVID-19 pill

Drugmaker Shionogi & Co has applied for approval to make and sell its oral COVID-19 treatment in Japan, the firm said on Friday.

Known as S-217622, the drug would become the country’s third antiviral pill approved for coronavirus patients, following those developed by Pfizer and Merck.

In a statement, Shionogi said it was seeking conditional early approval of the drug after completing the Phase IIb part of a Phase II/III clinical trial in Japan and South Korea.

Shionogi COVID pill about to get approval in Japan

The study, involving 428 patients, reached its primary endpoint in reducing viral titres, but did not show a significant difference in reducing a measure of 12 COVID-19 symptoms.

This month, Chief Executive Isao Teshirogi said Shionogi could deliver enough doses for a million people by the end of March.