FRANKFURT -- The German government will purchase large amounts of the anti-influenza drug Avigan, developed by a unit of Fujifilm Holdings, to treat the new coronavirus, local media reported Thursday.

Berlin is aiming for short-term stockpiling of Avigan, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported. The purchase will be in the millions of packs, which will be distributed through university hospitals and other institutions with the help of the military.

A Chinese government-affiliated institution said it has confirmed the efficacy of Avigan, developed by Fujifilm Toyama Chemical, against coronavirus infection in clinical trials, and there are growing expectations that it will help prevent the spread of the pandemic. Fujifilm Toyama Chemical has just begun its own clinical trials.