Lack of patients may drag Japan's Fujifilm drug research into July

After the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gave up on getting approval for the drug by the end of May, the aim was to complete clinical trials in June. - Reuters

TOKYO (Reuters): Fujifilm Holdings' research on Avigan as a potential treatment for Covid-19 may drag on until July, the company said on Sunday (June 7), a further setback in the Japanese firm's race to find a vaccine.

"There is a possibility that clinical trials will continue in July," a Fujifilm spokesman said, responding to a Nikkei report that any approval will be delayed until July or later, due to a lack of patients for trials.