What’s in the news?

• Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd., is going to conduct a study to examine whether early administration of a combination of Favipiravir and Umifenovir enhances antiviral efficacy on COVID-19 patients.
• The new combination clinical trial will be called FAITH – (FA vipiravir plus Um I fenovir (efficacy and safety) Trial in Indian Hospital setting).

About Favipiravir 

• Favipiravir is a generic drug used in the treatment against influenza viruses and has been approved in Japan for the treatment of novel influenza virus infections.
• Phase-3 clinical trials on Favipiravir for COVID-19 patients have been initiated in India recently.

About Umifenovir

• Umifenovir is a dual-acting direct antiviral/host-targeting agent i.e., attacks viral pathogens and also targets host proteins that interact with the virus.
• It is used for the treatment and prophylaxis (preventive care) of influenza and other respiratory infections.
• Umifenovir’s ability to exert antiviral effects through multiple pathways has resulted in considerable investigation into its use for a variety of enveloped and non-enveloped RNA and DNA viruses, including Flavivirus, Zika virus, hepatitis, etc.