The first doses of an experimental antiviral medicine for Hantavirus are being dispatched to France, Spain and the Netherlands for patient treatment or clinical trials.
A total of 1,400 tablets of favipiravir have been made available to EU member states following a donation from Fujifilm Pharmaceuticals in Japan, the European Commission reported on Thursday.
There are currently no approved medicines or vaccines to treat or prevent Hantavirus.
Favipiravir has been identified by the European Medicines Agency as the most plausible candidate for use under clinical trial or compassionate use protocols — a route that can allow access to a medicine outside full approval for patients with serious conditions.
The decision on whether to use the drug will be made by the member states concerned.
Donation arranged through EU–Japan cooperation
The donation was facilitated by the Japanese authorities and the European Union Delegation to Japan.
The Commission said it has been in continuous exchanges with member states since the outbreak and facilitated the dispatch at the request of France, Spain and the Netherlands.
“Solidarity and rapid action save lives,” Commissioner for Preparedness Hadja Lahbib stated.
The Commission said it is also launching emergency procurement procedures to secure additional doses in case further cases are confirmed in the coming weeks.
