TOKYO: Shares in Japan’s Fujifilm Holdings, maker of the famous camera and film equipment, have surged 15 percent after a Chinese official said the anti-flu drug Avigan, made by s Fuji subsidiary, appeared to help coronavirus patients recover.

Avigan, also known as Favipiravir, is manufactured by Fujifilm healthcare arm. The drug was approved for use in Japan in 2014.

A senior Chinese health official said Favipiravir has been effective, with no obvious side-effects, in helping coronavirus patients recover.