China’s Ministry of Science and Technology has said popular anti-malaria drug, Chloroquine is one of the three drugs that have shown encouraging profile for blocking the new coronavirus in early clinical trials.

The remaining two drugs are Gilead’s experimental anti-malaria drug Remdesivir and Favilavir

Chloroquine, an existing medicine, is under assessment in more than 100 patients at over ten hospitals in Beijing and Guangdong province. Plans for an additional study in Hunan province are underway.

Meanwhile, the National Medical Products Administration of China has also approved anti-viral drug Favilavir as the first authorized drug to treat coronavirus Covid-19, according to media reports.

China media reported that the Taizhou government in Zhejiang province announced the approval, which marks the authorization of the first drug against the new coronavirus.

Formerly Fapilavir, the drug was developed by Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical.

Fapilavir allegedly demonstrated efficacy with minor side effects in an ongoing 70-patient clinical trial in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. The drug’s generic version received the approval.

The news agency added that production of the anti-viral drug begun on February 16,

Meanwhile, Gilead’s experimental drug Remdesivir is said to be in studies at more than ten medical institutions in Wuhan, the epicentre of the Covid-19 outbreak.

A study by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) revealed that Remdesivir could prevent the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), a type of coronavirus in monkeys, offering hope for China trials.

Earlier this month, the Wuhan Institute of Virology filed an application seeking a new patent on Remdesivir.