Regulatory officials in China announced on Feb. 16 the approval of a new antiviral drug to tackle the Covid-19 outbreak.

First drug that targets Covid-19 approved since outbreak

The drug, Favilavir, is the first drug targeted at Covid-19 approved by the National Medical Products Administration of China since the start of the outbreak, reported China Daily.

Developed by Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical company, Favilavir, formerly known as Fapilavir, is expected to play a crucial role in combating the epidemic, which has caused 2,004 deaths in China so far.

Favilavir is one of three drugs which has shown "significant efficacy" in treating the coronavirus during clinical trials, China's Ministry of Science and Technology said on Feb. 15.

The trials were conducted on 70 confirmed patients in Shenzhen, and the drug appears to be promising, according to UPI.

However, specific results from the trials have not been released.

Even so, China Daily reported that the drug has been approved for marketing, and production commenced on Sunday.

Drug is currently the most promising

Scientists have been scrambling for a medical solution for the Covid-19 outbreak.

This has led to medical experts around the world testing various drugs and their efficacy.

Another drug, Remsdesivir, originally developed by American biotechnology company Gilead, shows potential to fight the virus.

A Chinese drugmaker, Brightgene Bio-Medical Technology, has managed to synthesise a similar drug using similar pharmaceutical ingredients, and has even started mass-production of this new drug.

The drug, however, is experimental, and is not licensed or approved anywhere in the world, reported Bloomberg.

At the moment, it seems Falivalir holds the most hope for China.

Top photo from hao chen / Getty Images