As the rate of coronavirus cases continues to surge worldwide, the National Medical Products Administration of China has approved Favilavir as the first anti-viral drug that can possibly treat COVID-19.

On Sunday, the city government of Taizhou announced that Favilavir, which was first developed by a Chinese pharmaceutical company, is the first drug authorized to halt the proliferation of the deadly virus.

Favilavir is currently being marketed under the brand name Avigan.

China's Ministry of Science and Technology said Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical's Favilavir is one of the three drugs that have shown promising results for blocking the novel coronavirus in early clinical trials.

Favilavir was tested in an ongoing clinical trial in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province involving 70 patients, after which it was found to be potentially effective in treating coronavirus patients, albeit with minor side effects.

Favilavir's generic version is now being mass-produced in China.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to approve Favilavir as an effective coronavirus treatment drug.

Here are three facts you should know about Favilavir, according to a recent article:

How does Favilavir work?

Favilavir works as an antiviral, effectively attacking RNA viruses by inhibiting RdRp (RNA-depended RNA polymerase). Favilavir is primarily used as treatment for influenza in China and Japan, and as of this moment, tests are being conducted to determine the effectivity of this drug against COVID-19.

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Is it similar to Fapilavir?

Favilavir is formerly known as Fapilavir. The reason for changing its name remains unknown but it is clear that both Fapilavir and Favilavir were derived from the drug's most active ingredient, called Favipiravir.

When will Favilavir be available to patients?

Favilavir is currently available as an influenza treatment in China and Japan. But it is yet unknown when Favilavir will be available to COVID-19 patients globally.

Meanwhile, other drugs such as Chloroquine that treats malaria and Gilead's experimental drug Remdesivir have shown encouraging profiles for fighting COVID-19.

Although Chloroquine is still under assessment in Beijing and Guangdong Province, plans for another test in Hunan are already underway.

Gilead's drug Remdesivir, on the other hand, is still being studied in Wuhan, the coronavirus' epicenter. The U.S. National Institutes of Health's (NIH) previous study revealed that Remdesivir could prevent Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), another respiratory disease caused by a different strain of coronavirus.
As of this writing, there are more than 182,000 confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide with more than 7,125 deaths. Despite the mortality rate, it is also worthy to note that more than 78,000 have recovered from the deadly disease.

As of now, there's no vaccine against the coronavirus and antibiotics are also ineffective since COVID-19 is a viral infection and not bacterial.

Aside from Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical, other pharmaceutical companies across the world are developing major coronavirus drugs that have the potential to become coronavirus vaccines or antivirals for treating the contagious coronavirus infection.

Amid the coronavirus crisis, Favilavir may cast a glimmer of hope.