India's Dr.Reddy's ends study of COVID-19 drug Avigan in Kuwait (updated)

Appili Therapeutics

27/01/2021 09:33

(Adds background on Avigan, context)
    BENGALURU, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Indian drugmaker Dr.Reddy's
Laboratories  REDY.NS  said on Wednesday it had terminated its
clinical study of Fujifilm Holdings'  4901.T  COVID-19 treatment
Avigan in patients with moderate to severe symptoms in Kuwait.
    Data from the Kuwait trial, conducted in partnership with
United Arab Emirates-based medical alliance Global Response Aid
FZCO (GRA), showed that the difference in time taken by Avigan
and placebo to resolve a sustained absence of oxygen in the
tissues was not significant enough to continue the trial. (https://bit.ly/3onNbij)
    
    Fujifilm, Dr.Reddy's and GRA had entered into a deal in July
to sell Avigan globally excluding Japan, China and Russia.
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N2E81PX 
     Avigan was approved as an anti-flu drug in Japan in 2014,
and Fujifilm has been seeking approval for the drug as a
treatment for COVID-19 since October.
    The Japanese Health Ministry's medical review board last
month concluded that clinical trial data to determine Avigan's
efficacy for COVID-19 was inconclusive.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2J10ZE
    Dr.Reddy's, in partnership with GRA and Canada's Appili
Therapeutics  APLI.TO , will continue a late-stage North
American trial of Avigan in patients with mild to moderate
COVID-19 symptoms.
    Several Indian drugmakers, such as Cipla  CIPL.NS , Lupin
 LUPN.NS  and Glenmark Pharmaceuticals  GLEN.NS , offer their
own generic versions of Avigan to treat COVID-19.
    India, which has the second-highest number of coronavirus
infections in the world, is in the middle of its first phase of
COVID-19 vaccinations and has vaccinated nearly 2 million
healthcare workers as of Monday.  
        
    
       
        

 (Reporting by Anuron Kumar Mitra in Bengaluru; Editing by Amy
Caren Daniel)
 ((AnuronKumar.Mitra@thomsonreuters.com; +91 99863 58469;))