TOKYO (Reuters) – Shares of Japan’s Shionogi & Co Ltd jumped more than 4% in early trade on Tuesday after the Yomiuri newspaper said the country’s regulatory agency had compiled a report confirming the possible efficacy of the company’s COVID-19 drug.
The report, compiled by Japan’s Pharmaceuticals and Medical
Devices Agency (PMDA) which works together with Ministry of Health, will be used for an expert panel discussion later on Tuesday to decide whether Japan should give emergency approval for Shionogi’s oral coronavirus drug known as ensitrelvir.
If approved, it would become the first domestically developed oral drug for COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms.
(Reporting by Mariko Katsumura; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
