Russia is preparing to distribute its newly approved Covid-19 treatment to hospitals around the country this month. According to Russia's sovereign wealth fund, RDIF, the new drug called Aviifavir has been proven to be very effective in shortening the recovery times of patients suffering from Covid-19 symptoms.
RDIF funded the research and development of the anti-influenza drug, which was based on another anti-influenza treatment called Favipiravir developed in Japan through a joint venture company partly owned by Russian pharmaceutical firm ChemRar Group.
Initial trials of the drug had shown its efficacy in reducing Covid-19 symptoms. RDIF and ChemRar mentioned on Monday that the final stage trails of the drug, which involves around 330 patients, is still ongoing. However, the country's Ministry of Health had granted approval for the temporary use of the drug on Saturday, prompting the company to immediately begin preparations for its distribution.
Data from the drug's initial clinical trials show that 26 out of the 40 patients who took Aviifavir had tested negative for the coronavirus after just five days. The recovery rate of the treated patients was twice as fast when compared to those who did not receive the treatment.
The sovereign wealth fund's chief executive officer, Kirill Dmitriev, mentioned in an interview on Monday that the approval of the drug is a major step forward in the fight against the pandemic. The official acknowledged that its newly developed drug and the drug being developed by the US, Remdesivir, are showing significant promise in securing the health of those who have been affected by the disease.
Responding to the news of the US' withdrawal from the World Health Organization, Dmitriev stated that countries should put aside their political differences during this crisis. He added that the only way to successfully fight against the disease is through global cooperation. The official stated Russia's partnership with Japan as an example of how two countries can work together to achieve an impossible goal.
ChemRar is reportedly preparing to distribute as much as 60,000 courses of Aviifavir to major Russian hospitals by the end of this month. After receiving its registration certificate from the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, the drug has become the world's first approved coronavirus treatment.
Russia currently has the world's third-largest number of confirmed coronavirus cases, with over 423,000 people infected. Thanks to its quick response to the pandemic, the country's death toll has remained low, hovering around 5,000 deaths with more than 186,000 people have already recovered.
