Thailand seeks rights to produce Favipiravir antiviral drug
With thousands of people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19 and hundreds in critical condition, the Thai government is now seeking the rights to produce the Japanese-made antiviral drug Favipiravir. In Thailand, the drug has been used to treat those infected with Covid-19, typically those with serious conditions.
A very, small portion of Thailand’s population has been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, and health officials have relied on the antiviral medication during the recent wave of infections, using more than 20,000 pills per day.
Thailand’s Government Pharmaceutical Organisation has been told to seek permission to produce Favipiravir in Thailand, according to deputy government spokesperson Traisuree Taisaranakul.
Medical Services Department director-general Somsak Akksilp says the demand for the antiviral drug has spiked since the recent outbreak.
“We stocked about 400,000 pills of Favipiravir at the onset of the current wave… Given that they are being used up fast, the public health minister has instructed the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation to order 500,000 more.”
The Thai government ended up ordering 2 million more pills, which arrived earlier this week. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul another delivery of 1 million pills will arrive in May.
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