Anti-flu drug Avigan is not safe for pregnant women, DOH warns

The Department of Health has warned about the risks of using Avigan, the anti-flu drug from Japan which has been approved for clinical trial in the Philippines.

In Lei Alviz' report for "24 Oras," health undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Avigan will be tested if it is effective in treating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients.

Although the drug offers hope amid the pandemic, there have been concerns about its effects on particular groups.

"Lubos na mag-ingat sa paggamit ng Avigan sapagkat ayon po sa datos ang Avigan ay hindi ligtas sa paggamit ng buntis," Vergeire said.

According to a report by Agence France-Presse, some doctors have also warned against the usage of the drug on children and adolescents.

READ: Avigan: Antiviral being tested for coronavirus patients

Avigan, the brand name of the drug favipiravir, has been approved for use in flu outbreaks and was also used to treat Ebola.

A Chinese official said that Avigan showed "very good clinical results" in the trials conducted by a hospital in Shenzhen and Wuhan University's Zhongnan Hospital.

Japan has already offered to give a free supply of Avigan for the potential testing of the drug.

President Rodrigo Duterte and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe discussed Avigan in a special virtual summit of the Association of Southeast Nations and its dialogue partners China, Japan, and South Korea on COVID-19 on April 15. —Kaela Malig/MGP, GMA News