RDIF and ChemRar to supply Avifavir to 17 countries

•  Efficacy of favipiravir-based drugs against COVID-19 has been confirmed by clinical trials in Russia and Japan
• Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have already received Avifavir, deliveries to 17 more countries are expected

Moscow, September 24, 2020 – The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, and ChemRar Group, have agreed to supply Avifavir, the world’s first favipiravirbased drug registered against coronavirus infection and Russia’s first drug approved for the treatment of COVID-19, to 17 countries.

Avifavir and other favipiravir-based analogues in Russia and the American Remdesivir are currently the leading anti-COVID drugs to be registered globally.

Avifavir will be delivered to Argentina, Bulgaria, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Kuwait, Panama, Paraguay, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, South Africa, UAE and Uruguay.

The drug has already been delivered to Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

On May 29, 2020, Avifavir received a registration certificate from Russia’s Ministry of Health based on thorough and transparent clinical data and became the first favipiravir-based drug in the world approved for the treatment of COVID-19. About five months after Avifavir clinical trials in Russia efficacy of favipiravir against novel coronavirus infection was confirmed by Japan’s Fujifilm. The company announced on September 23 that according to Phase 3 clinical trial the administration of its favipiravir-based drug Avigan to 156 patients demonstrated shorter time to resolution as compared with the placebo group. Fujifilm statement is available at: https://www.fujifilm.com/jp/en/news/hq/5451

Efficacy of Avifavir has been shown in clinical trials which significantly exceed in scale those conducted by other Russian manufacturers of favipiravir. These trials have been conducted in full compliance with international standards and the requirements of regulatory authorities around the world. Since April, 408 patients with confirmed coronavirus have participated in the studies at 35 medical centers in Russia. In October the number of patients will increase to 460.

Since June 2020, more than 60,000 packages of Avifavir have been delivered to clinics in 74 Russian regions. Since supplies of Avifavir began, clinical monitoring has been carried out based on data from the register of patients with coronavirus of the Ministry of Health of Russia. Data on the use of Avifavir has been collected with further analysis as well as scientific and medical assessment. According to observational post-registration clinical trial of 940 patients, those taking Avifavir demonstrated elimination of the virus at an earlier stage in 30% of cases and the level of oxygen saturation was restored to normal twice as quickly (2 days versus 4 days) compared with standard therapy. According to the results of the research, the drug is well tolerated, with no new adverse events identified.

Avifavir is now the leading Russian anti-COVID drug in terms of export. In particular, the start of deliveries to Bolivia and other countries in Latin America was announced on September 21 as part of the agreement to deliver 150,000 packs. Avifavir has also been approved by regulators in Europe, Middle East and Asia.

Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, said:
“When we registered the first anti-coronavirus drug in the world based on favipiravir there was a lot of skepticism as people were wondering how we could register it when Japan had not registered it yet. Now five months after our clinical trials we see that Japan has confirmed clinical efficacy of favipiravir. Since that time Avifavir has been tested in more than 1300 patients including 408 patients in clinical trials and 940 patients in observational post-registration clinical trial. And thus now we have conducted the largest clinical trial of favipiravir-based drug against coronavirus in the world and we confirm its high efficacy. Since June more than 60,000 packages of Avifavir have been delivered to clinics in 74 Russian regions. And more than 15 countries have confirmed their interest in Avifavir. Based on our extensive clinical trials and research in Japan confirming favipiravir efficacy against coronavirus we believe that Avifavir and other favipiravir-based products will be the leading antiviral medicines against COVID-19 in the world. In addition to proven efficacy and safety Avifavir is also 3-4 times cheaper than Remdesivir».

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Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) is Russia’s sovereign wealth fund established in 2011 to make equity co-investments, primarily in Russia, alongside reputable international financial and strategic investors. RDIF acts as a catalyst for direct investment in the Russian economy. RDIF’s management company is based in Moscow. Currently, RDIF has experience of the successful joint implementation of more than 80 projects with foreign partners totaling more than RUB1.9 tn and covering 95% of the regions of the Russian Federation. RDIF portfolio companies employ more than 800,000 people and generate revenues which equate to more than 6% of Russia’s GDP. RDIF has established joint strategic partnerships with leading international co-investors from more than 18 countries that total more than $40 bn. Further information can be found at www.rdif.ru

ChemRar Group unites R&D service and investment companies in the field of innovative pharmaceuticals for the development and commercialization of innovative medicines, diagnostics, preventive care and new treatments of life-threatening diseases in Russia and abroad. Further information can be found at https://en.chemrar.ru/

For additional information contact:

Elena Surina
ChemRar Group
PR Director
Mobile +7 9262067871
E-mail: es@chemrar.ru