All national dailies reported on Saturday that Fujifilm filed a request with the Health Ministry on Friday for permission to use the anti-flu drug Avigan to treat coronavirus patients, projecting that the ministry is likely to approve the request in November at the earliest. “We understand that it is necessary to authorize it as fast as possible,” said Health Minister Tamura. “However, we cannot do so until the drug’s effectiveness and safety are confirmed. We will look into it without fail.” Asahi wrote that a total of 156 people participated in a clinical trial administered by the manufacturer, which found that COVID-19 patients who received Avigan tested negative for the virus almost three days sooner than those who received a placebo. Nikkei said Fujifilm has high expectations for swift approval since that would help market the drug overseas.