The Viet Nam Academy of Science and Technology on June 28 announced that its Institute of Chemistry has successfully found out a new method for synthesising anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug from Favipiravir in the laboratory.

Scientists from the Institute of Chemistry are conducting research in the laboratory (Photo: the Institute of Chemistry)

The result will contribute to joint efforts of Vietnamese scientists in researching drugs, vaccines and biological products to serve COVID-19 prevention and control.

The research, licensing, production and vaccination of COVID-19 vaccines such as Astrazeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson have contributed to effectively containing the spread of COVID-19. However, due to the emergence of new strains that are able to resist vaccines, antiviral drugs are an important supplement to COVID-19 vaccines.

In that context, scientists of the Institute of Chemistry have successfully researched the new method for the synthesis of anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug from Favipiravir in the lab.

With an action mechanism similar to Remdesivir but it is administered orally, Favipiravir was first used against SARS-CoV-2 in Wuhan, China. This drug has importantly contributed to preventing the COVID-19 pandemic in many countries, including Italy, Japan, and Russia.

The Vietnamese scientists are hoped to perfect their research, thus scaling up the synthesis of the drug in the coming time.

Source: VNA