Ebola Treatment Update:Nigeria to Receive Favipiravir From Japan

Nigeria is set to receive the antiviral drug Favipiravir from Japan as
a possible Ebola treatment, the Health Ministry said on Monday.

Favipiravir, developed by the Japanese pharmaceutical company Fujifilm
Holdings Corp, was available for immediate delivery, Health Minister
Onyebuchi Chukwu said during an emergency meeting in the capital,
Abuja.

The drug was approved to treat the flu by the Japanese health ministry
in March. Fujifilm Holdings is in talks with the US Food and Drug
Administration to begin clinical testing of Favipiravir as an Ebola
treatment.

"It is shown to have strong antiviral property against the Ebola
virus" in the lab and in patients, the minister.

Enough dosages of Favipiravir to treat about 20 000 patients were available.

Nigeria also applied for the experimental Ebola drug TKM-Ebola, Chukwu said.

TKM-Ebola was tested for safety in a small number of humans, but the
trial was halted in January when one volunteer developed moderate
gastrointestinal side effects.

Nigeria also offered to participate in clinical trials for two Ebola
vaccines, the health minister said.