TOKYO (Reuters) – Drugmaker Shionogi & Co Ltd 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 Inc and Merck & Co.
In a statement, Shionogi said it was seeking conditional early approval of the drug, an inhibitor of viral 3CL protease, after completing the Phase IIb part of a Phase II/III clinical trial in Japan and South Korea.
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.
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