Green light for local favipiravir production 4 published : 5 May 2021 at 17:18 Vuttikrai Leewiraphan, director-general of the Department of Intellectual Property. The Department of Intellectual Property has rejected the developer of the drug favipiravir's latest patent application, paving the way for local production of the antiviral medication now widely used to treat Covid-19 patients. DIP director-general Vuttikrai Leewiraphan said on Wednesday that the department rejected the patent application after finding it presented no new innovation. Therefore, no one monopolised favipiravir in Thailand and the Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) and other producers of Thai generic drugs could produce the drug for local use, he said.