The White House National Security Council has pushed for the U.S. government to accept a donation of Avigan from Japan, the officials said, which would require the FDA to grant an emergency-use authorization. One official said that Abe recently spoke with Trump about the idea, generating enthusiasm within the administration.

Meanwhile, Fujifilm, the FDA and HHS have spent several weeks discussing potential clinical trials of Avigan in the United States, according to an internal summary of the deliberations reviewed by POLITICO. The Japanese company also is seeking potential U.S. government funding for its research.

A Trump administration official said the situation is unusual, and some National Security Council officials seem determined to help Trump work around the regulatory system to achieve his goal of finding a coronavirus cure, while other U.S. officials feel caught in the middle.

"There are a lot of concerns about side effects," the official said, referring to Avigan.

An HHS spokesperson said that the department couldn't comment on pre-decisional activities. An FDA spokesperson also said that the agency "will not speculate on whether the agency would issue an EUA for any medical product."

"The FDA remains actively engaged with partners across the U.S. government, academia and regulated industry to expedite the development and availability of critical medical products to prevent and treat this novel virus ," the spokesperson added.

The National Security Council didn’t respond to questions.

Health officials have repeatedly rejected Avigan in the United States, despite years of advocacy from Japan and Fujifilm. South Korea officials this month also declined to use the drug in that nation's coronavirus response, warning of insufficient evidence and the risk of "serious side effects."