A Japanese Ministry of Health official said that his country started using the American drug Gilad Science Inc., a remedy for the treatment of patients with severe symptoms of Covid-19, days after the drug was given urgent approval in efforts to curb the spread of the Corona virus.
The ministry's official, Yasuyuki Sahara, added in an email today, Thursday, that the drug has been distributed to Japan's hospitals since May 11, and it is used to treat patients in intensive care units or those who use ventilators.
He said that the amount of the drug Remedisfer that his country had received from the pharmaceutical company was not from the information disclosed and that global supplies were "very limited".
California-based Gilad has pledged to donate the first half-and-a-half million doses of Remsdivir. A company spokesman said that part of this amount was given to the Japanese government, without giving further details.
Japan has recorded about 16,000 cases of coronavirus and 687 deaths, which is significantly lower than in many industrialized countries. According to the latest statistics of the Ministry of Health, the number of serious cases requiring the use of ventilators is 259.
On May 7, Japan agreed to Remisevir, becoming the first drug approved in the country to treat Covid-19, and reached this decision just three days after Gilad applied for quick approval.
The interest in the drug is increasing worldwide, as no other treatment has received a permit to use it. On May 1, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the emergency use of the drug that is given to patients intravenously.
Gilad says the drug has produced better results among people with the respiratory disease, and has provided data indicating that its effect is better when used in the early stages of infection.
Remdisever had previously not worked as a treatment for Ebola. It has been designed to prevent some viruses from copying themselves into infected cells.