Japan health ministry approves Shionogi's COVID drug Xocova

Japan's health ministry on Tuesday officially approved the oral coronavirus drug, Xocova, which was developed by the Japanese pharmaceutical company Shionogi.

The ministry's panel of experts confirmed the drug's efficacy and determined that there are no serious safety concerns at a meeting on Monday evening. Xocova can be administered to patients, even those who have a low risk of becoming gravely ill, from the time that they exhibit mild symptoms.