Pharmaceutical company Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical Co Ltd revealed on Monday that Favipiravir is recommended as a broad-spectrum antiviral agent that inhibits the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of RNA viruses, including Ebola, influenza and COVID-19.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the Chinese and Japanese governments have recommended use of Favipiravir to treat the disease. The data from Favipiravir's clinical tests published by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China at an official press conference indicated Favipiravir has shown good clinical efficacy against the COVID-19 and the tablet form makes it easily accessible.

Favipiravir, which was originally developed by Toyama Chemical Co Ltd, was approved as strategic stockpile as a countermeasure for virus in Japan. In 2016, the patent of Favipiravir was exclusively franchised to Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical Co Ltd. (HISUN), which cooperated with CMAM to develop Favipiravir tablets. The finished drug was approved rapidly in February 2020.