Government says not to buy Favipiravir/Avigan online, says it might be fake

Yesterday, Traisuree Taisaranaku, the deputy government spokesperson said that people should refrain from buying the antiviral medication Favipiravir online because it’s possibly fake. The drug also goes by the brand name Avigan, as well as other names. The spokesperson says the medication should only be taken if it is prescribed by a doctor. Traisuree says people were tricked through social media into purchasing Favipiravir/Avigan without a doctor’s medical consultation.

Currently, Favipiravir is only available at hospitals/clinics and cannot be sold over the counter.

When doctors prescribe the drug, they have to observe multiple variables, including how sick the person is, their weight, and any chronic illnesses they may have, to ensure a patient doesn’t overdose or a patient becomes resistant to the drug, says the spokesperson.

The spokesperson warns sellers that they could face legal action if they are caught selling the drug.

Favipiravir/Avigan is an antiviral drug that is used to treat influenza in Japan. Research is still underway for the drug’s potential use in treating other viral infections, such as Covid. However, after the initial outbreak of Covid, Chinese and Russian doctors began using it to treat Covid patients, despite a lack of scientific consensus on the usefulness of the drug.

In fact, a study of global trials for Favipiravir/Avigan suggested the drug has little use for Covid patients once their symptoms become serious.

3 months prior, the Thai government rejected the patent for Favipiravir/Avigan.

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SOURCE: Reuters Chiang Rai Times