Japan's Fujifilm to produce more flu drug for Ebola

Japan's Fujifilm Holdings Corporation announced on Monday that it will start production of the anti-influenza drug Avigan Tablets in preparation for a larger number of patients infected with the Ebola virus.

"Fujifilm made the decision to ready a larger inventory through additional production in order to ensure a continual supply of a sufficient volume of Avigan if the scale of the infection were to increase further," said the Japanese multinational photography and imaging company headquartered in Tokyo in a release posted on its website on Monday.

Avigan Tablets were developed by Fujifilm Group company Toyama Chemical Co., Ltd. and approved in Japan as anti-influenza drug in March.

Its efficacy on Ebola is not confirmed, though some research papers report that Avigan shows efficacy against the Ebola virus in animal testing with mice.

Avigan has already been administered as an emergency treatment to several Ebola patients evacuated from West Africa to Europe. Recent media reports said some Ebola patients have been treated with Avigan in Europe.

The governments of France and Guinea are planning to conduct clinical trials of Avigan Tablets in Guinea as a treatment for Ebola in mid-November. Fujifilm has received a request to provide Avigan Tablets and pharmaceutical information on the product for use in these clinical trials, said the company.

If this clinical trial shows the efficacy and safety of Avigan Tablets as treatment for Ebola, Fujifilm is expected to receive requests to provide the products for large-scale clinical use.

Fujifilm currently has stock of Avigan Tablets for 20,000 courses as well as an additional inventory of active pharmaceutical ingredient roughly for 300,000 courses.