Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the government would consider granting conditional early approval for the oral Covid-19 treatment being developed by Shionogi & Co Ltd, as the firm prepares to start a late-stage global trial.
Shionogi Chief Executive Isao Teshirogi told reporters that the company could file in Japan for early approval of the drug as soon as next week, and that it could deliver enough doses for one million people by the end of March.
Antiviral pills from Pfizer Inc and Merck & Co are already being used in several countries and have demonstrated efficacy in trials of adults with Covid -19 who are at risk of serious illness.
