Society

Avigan trials will continue in Japan, with drug efficacy unclear

May 21 (Nikkei) - A Japanese team testing the flu drug Avigan as a treatment for the new coronavirus said Wednesday more time was needed to determine its effectiveness, while the government stood by a goal of approving the medication's use this month.

The Fujita Health University School of Medicine said it will continue clinical trials based on the recommendation of an independent panel. The panel found "no safety or other problems" associated with the trials, according to Yohei Doi, the microbiologist heading the effort.

Doi told reporters he had not seen the actual results of an interim analysis by the panel but that its main purpose was not to determine the treatment's effectiveness.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, the government's top spokesman, told reporters there was "no change" in Japan's goal of approval for Avigan as a coronavirus treatment by the end of May, while acknowledging a report that the drug has shown no clear effect against the virus so far.

To achieve that goal, data showing the drug's effectiveness would need to come forward within the next several days. The health ministry is poised to grant the drug fast-track approval.

Avigan developer Toyama Chemical, part of Japan's Fujifilm Holdings, is conducting its own trials of the drug's effectiveness in treating the coronavirus disease COVID-19. Shares in Fujifilm fell more than 2% on Wednesday on the report of the drug's unclear benefits.

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

Bear sightings across Japan have already climbed to nearly twice the level recorded during the same period last year, prompting entry bans in mountain areas behind Kyoto’s Ninna-ji Temple and the cancellation of hiking events in Kansai, while new research suggests that the key to reducing encounters may lie in understanding what bears eat in each region.

Copper Thieves Target Japanese Shrines

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.

1200-Year-Old Temple on Miyajima Reduced to Ashes

Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.

From Bento Boxes to Garbage Bags, Rising Costs Hitting Daily Life Across Japan

Uncertainty surrounding the situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect daily life in Japan, as concerns over crude oil supplies spread to restaurants, cleaning services and even household garbage disposal systems across the Kansai region.

Tochigi Robbery-Murder Suspect’s Wife Posted Dance Videos on Social Media

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

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