FNA - Health Minister Saeed Namaki said Remdesivir - a drug believed to be of help in fighting the coronavirus - produced by Iranian researchers has been distributed at medical centers, and added that the medicine will enter the market as of next week.

Namaki made the remarks on Sunday and noted that another coronavirus-related medicine, Favipiravir, has also entered Iran’s pharmaceutical market.

He emphasized that these medicines are distributed at hospitals only by specialists.

In relevant remarks on Saturday, the Iranian health ministry announced that the permit for official enlistment of Remdesivir in Iran Drug List (IDL) has been issued, and noted that the country will soon supply the medicine to the market.

Director-General of Drugs and Controlled Substances of Health Ministry, Heidar Mohammadi, in a letter on Saturday to Iranian pharmaceutical companies, issued a permit for enlistment of the medicine under coronavirus conditions in the country.

The permit will allow Iran to supply the first localized production of antiviral Remdesivir medicine at the market.

Last week, Iran announced that home-made Remdesivir will go on sale in country’s market in coming days, as the country’s research and scientific centers continue broad studies to find an ultimate remedy and vaccine for COVID-19 deadly virus.

Iran will distribute the first batch of home-made Remdesivir medicine to the Iranian market to treat coronavirus patients next week, Iranian Health Minister Saeed Namaki announced on Wednesday.

“No reliable drug has yet been found for the COVID-19 disease in the world but Remdesivir and Favipiravir are two drugs that a number of our colleagues prescribe, specially Remdesivir whose effectiveness has been emphasized in the US and Europe,” Namaki told reporters after a cabinet meeting in Tehran.

He noted that Iran provided the medical centers and pharmacies with enough Remdesivir on Tuesday, noting that the Iran-made version of the drug will be distributed in the market next week.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized emergency use of the Ebola drug Remdesivir for treating the coronavirus. A recent clinical trial showed the drug helped shorten the recovery time for people who were seriously ill; however, it did not significantly improve survival rates.

Favipiravir was developed by the Japanese company Fujifilm Toyama Chemical in 2014 and used for treatment of new strains of influenza.