Fujifilm Corp. said Wednesday it has reached a patent license agreement for an effective ingredient in its anti-influenza drug Avigan Tablet with Chinese pharmaceutical company Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical Co.

It is the first time that Fujifilm has signed a licensing deal with a foreign company for the drug created by its group firm Toyama Chemical Co. that is seen as potentially effective in treating Ebola patients.

Under the deal, Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical will be eligible to use patents related to Favipiravir, an effective ingredient in Avigan, to develop, produce and market an anti-influenza drug in China. Fujifilm will receive a lump-sum payment and royalties once such adrug is successfully introduced into the market.

Human infection with avian influenza has been reported in China. Fujifilm sees an increasing need to develop new drugs for treating influenza amid concern that avian influenza viruses could mutate into a new type of virus capable of human-to-human transmission, the Japanese company said.

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