Japan holds off on making final decision on drug for Covid-19

Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said on Tuesday (May 26) that the Japanese government has cancelled the plan to approve the drug Avigan for use on Covid-19 patients.
Though he did not provide any official reason for the decision, an earlier study has indicated that there is no clear evidence that the drug Avigan is effective in treating Covid-19.
Though there are 16 clinical trials underway in different countries on the use of Favipiravir to treat Covid-19, there are still concerns that this drug may cause birth defects on newborns as proved from tests on animals.