An antiviral pill, which has been found "to shorten COVID-19 infections by up to a week", is being sold to governments around the world by two businessmen trapped in South Africa by travel restrictions, says a Sunday Times report. Kempton White, Samuel Dayani and Jake Willis Fleming, airborne-pollutant experts who run a company called InfraSalience, were on the road between Johannesburg and Mossel Bay reviewing their air-cleaning technology facilities and prospective new sites when the virus struck. Now they have based themselves in the Karoo. From there, they are promoting the medication – also available in what they claim is a more effective form under the trade name Avigan – to global health officials as an emergency pandemic intervention.
The report says the drug, which costs about $650 (R11,400) per patient, has shown success against COVID-19 in Japan and China, and more countries are importing supplies.
Others are waiting for data from more clinical trials across the globe, coordinated by the World Health Organisation. Avigan has been approved by Japan's ministry of health since 2014.
White, the founder of InfraSalience – which specialises in turning carbon dioxide from toxic emissions into pharmaceutical-grade baking soda that can be used in pill manufacture – said South Africa should consider rolling out the drug. But, the report says, the Health Department, like other countries, is taking a cautious approach.
Spokesperson Dr Lwazi Manzi said: "The minister (Zweli Mkhize) has indicated that we are monitoring all the research coming through with all the various clinical trials of various medicines and vaccines."
[link url="https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/news/2020-03-22-red-tape-holds-up-antiviral-pill-that-could-help-fight-covid-19/"]Full Sunday Times report[/link]