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Shipments of Coronavir drug begin to major Russian cities

The manufacturer is not ready yet to name the delivery volumes and the pharmacies which will receive the shipments

MOSCOW, September 21. /TASS/. Shipments of the Coronavir drug for the treatment of the novel coronavirus infection (international nonproprietary name (INN) - favipiravir) have started to the major Russian cities, the press service of the R-Pharm group which manufactures the drug told TASS.

"We can talk about the beginning of sales. The shipments began to the following cities: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov, Krasnodar, Yekaterinburg, Perm, Krasnoyarsk, Khabarovsk," the company’s official representative said.

He added that the company is not ready yet to name the delivery volumes and the pharmacies which will receive the shipments. However, the press service of eApteka, one of the largest internet pharmacies, announced the beginning of the Coronavir sales. The medication will be sold by prescription, ordered online with the delivery to the nearest pharmacy and payment upon receipt.

Earlier the press service of the R-Pharm group reported that the Coronavir retail price will begin at 11,550 rubles (about $150 - TASS) per package containing 50 pills 200 mg each.

On September 17, Russia’s Healthcare Ministry allowed to use Coronavir and Areplivir for the outpatient treatment of the COVID-19.

Favipiravir was developed in Japan as a flu medicine and was approved for use in 2014. Preparations on its basis are produced under Avigan, Areplivir, or Favilavir brand names. In Russia, it is known as Avifavir. Avifavir was officially registered by the Russian Healthcare Ministry as the first drug against the coronavirus at the end of May 2020. It has also become the first registered anti-coronaviral drug worldwide. This preparation of a direct antiviral action which disrupts the mechanisms of the coronavirus propagation has demonstrated high effectiveness during clinical trials.