Favipiravir: Antiviral Medication Overview

Favipiravir is an antiviral medication used in the treatment of influenza and certain other viral infections. It works by inhibiting the virus's ability to replicate.
Category
Drug
Where to get
Favipiravir is available by prescription at pharmacies and hospitals.
Applicable for
Influenza | Viral Infections
Prepared by Shruti Sahoo, reviewed by Dr. Eugene Smith

Favipiravir FAQ


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What is favipiravir used for?

Favipiravir, sold under the brand name Avigan among others, is an antiviral medication used to treat influenza in Japan. It is also being studied to treat a number of other viral infections, including SARS-CoV-2. Like the experimental antiviral drugs T-1105 and T-1106, it is a pyrazinecarboxamide derivative.

Is favipiravir a generic drug?

It is being developed and manufactured by Toyama Chemical (a subsidiary of Fujifilm) and was approved for medical use in Japan in 2014. In 2016, Fujifilm licensed it to Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical Co. It became a generic drug in 2019. [citation needed] Favipiravir has been approved to treat influenza in Japan.

How does favipiravir affect health?

• Favipiravir has an unclear effect on the time it takes for people to improve, as defined by a reduction in their illness severity (derived from 4 studies involving 721 people).

How is favipiravir quantified?

Quantification of favipiravir, in plasma, BAL and tissues was performed by a validated sensitive and selective validated high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method (UPLC-TQD, Waters, USA) with a lower limit of quantification of 0.1 µg/mL as previously described (12).

Is favipiravir a potential therapeutic agent?

Both RdRp and viral proteases are considered important targets for potential therapeutic agents. Favipiravir, previously known as T-705, is a prodrug of the purine nucleotide favipiravir ribofuranosyl-5′-triphosphate [ 4 ]. The active agent inhibits RNA polymerase, halting viral replication [ 4 ].

Favipiravir References

If you want to know more about Favipiravir, consider exploring links below:

What Is Favipiravir

  1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Favipiravir
  2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7467067/
  3. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-90551-6
  4. https://www.cochrane.org/CD015219/INFECTN_favipiravir-useful-treating-people-covid-19
  5. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lansea/article/PIIS2772-3682(23)00026-4/fulltext
  6. https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2021-04-08-antiviral-drug-favipiravir-be-investigated-possible-covid-19-treatment-home-recovery

Favipiravir Information

  1. https://go.drugbank.com/drugs/DB12466
  2. https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/medicines/imwp-favipiravir-monographs.pdf?sfvrsn=212299e1_13&download=true
  3. https://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-021-06164-x

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