Fujifilm Holdings Corp. said on April 21 the company started a new phase III trial in Japan of the drug Avigan for Covid-19, reviving hopes for a home-grown treatment for the virus.

Fujifilm Holdings Corp. will restart a clinical trial in Japan of the company’s antiviral drug Avigan for the treatment of Covid-19, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Feb. 21.

A study of global trials of Fujifilm Holdings Corp.’s Avigan suggests the antiviral drug has little benefit for Covid-19 patients once their symptoms become serious.

Fujifilm Holdings Corp. said the company is seeking to have the flu drug Avigan approved in Japan as a treatment for Covid-19, a move that comes after a late-stage study showed reduced recovery times for patients with non-severe symptoms.

Fujifilm Holdings Corp. said a late-stage study of Avigan showed the antiviral drug reduced recovery times for Covid-19 patients with non-severe symptoms, boosting expectations for regulatory approval in Japan.