TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s Daiichi Sankyo Co said on Tuesday it was halting development of an existing drug for the treatment of COVID-19.
Daiichi Sankyo in March started a clinical trial in Japan of an inhaled form of nafamostat mesylate with COVID-19 patients. The company said in a statement it was discontinuing the trial without citing a reason. The Nikkei newspaper reported that there were safety concerns.
Nafamostat is used in the treatment of pancreatitis and has antiviral properties.
(Reporting by Rocky Swift, editing by Louise Heavens)
