China approves first antiviral drug for COVID-19

The Taizhou City government in Zhejiang, China announced that Favilavir, an antiviral drug that had shown efficacy in treating the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), was approved for marketing.

According to a Monday China Daily report, Favilavir, formerly known as Fapilavir, was the first anti-novel coronavirus drug approved for marketing by China's National Medical Products Administration.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Science and Technology said on Saturday that Favilar, which was developed by the Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical Company, was one of the three drugs which showed efficacy in treating the COVID-19 in clinical trials.

Favilavir was put into production on Sunday.

The death toll from COVID-19, which originated from Wuhan, China already ballooned to more than 1,700 on Monday.

In the Philippines, the number of persons under investigation for possible COVID-19 infection is down to 171, the Department of Health said.

In a press briefing earlier, Health Assistant Secretary Dr. Maria Rosario Vergeire said 350 others have already been discharged, including the two confirmed cases who managed to recover and the other who died after testing positive for the epidemic.

Of the 521 suspected cases, three tested positive, 453 tested negative, 22 are still awaiting for results, while others have yet to submit their specimens. — Ma. Angelica Garcia/DVM, GMA News