Sta. Ana Hospital, in Manila,Ӡhas received 1,300 tablets of the Japanese anti-flu drug Avigan from the Department of Health (DOH).
Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko””†Domagoso said the hospital was among the facilities which would conduct clinical trials using the anti-flu drug for COVID-19 patients.
DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said on August 12 that clinical trials for the Japanese anti-flu drug Avigan would take place in four hospitals in Metro Manila over nine months to review its effectiveness as a potential treatment for COVID-19.
Vergeire said the hospitals identified to take part in the trials were the Philippine General Hospital, Sta. Ana Hospital, Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital, and Quirino Memorial Medical Center.
Some 100 patients were scheduled to take part in the trials which started Monday and would run for nine months.
Trials were set to commence after the Japanese embassy donated doses of the medication to the DOH last August 6 as part of its "emergency grant aid" to countries severely affected by the coronavirus.
The DOH earlier said P18 million had been allocated for the clinical trials.
The fund will be used for expenses related to the trial such as clinical monitoring, and for the indemnity of patients, in case there would be adverse events.
Clinical trials for the use of Avigan on coronavirus patients started around April, after receiving earlier positive results from China.
The Philippines first mentioned the country would receive a free supply of the anti-flu drug from the Japanese government last May.