Russia has claimed that it has produced an effective drug to treat coronavirus patients.

Head of Russian Federal Biomedical Agency Veronika Skvortsova, said in a statement, the treatment is based on antimalarial drug Mefloquine which prevents virus replication in cells and stops the inflammatory process caused by the virus.

He said Mefloquine has to be combined with antibiotics for the maximum effect, allowing increase in the concentration of antiviral agents in blood plasma and lungs.