Stocks in Asia declined on Friday after an overnight report that raised doubts over a potential coronavirus treatment.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 index shed 167.44 points, or 0.7%, to 19,262.
The Japanese yen traded at 107.70 per U.S. dollar after seeing an earlier high of 107.53.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index slumped 145.99 points, or 0.6%, to 23,831.33.
The moves regionally came following an overnight report by the Financial Times — citing documents accidentally published by the World Health Organization — saying that Gilead Sciences’ drug remdesivir did not improve coronavirus patients’ condition. The documents cited by the FT referred to a Chinese clinical trial.
Gilead noted that study was “terminated early due to low enrollment,” leaving it “underpowered to enable statistically meaningful conclusions. As such, the study results are inconclusive.”
That development comes as the coronavirus continues to spread globally, with more than 2.7 million people infected worldwide and at least 190,303 lives lost, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
The Australian dollar changed hands at $0.6349 after touching an earlier high of $0.6381.
In other markets
In Shanghai, the CSI 300 lost 32.78 points, or 0.9%, to 3,796.97
In Korea, the Kospi index dipped 25.72 points, or 1.3%, to 1,889.01.
In Taiwan, the Taiex Index ditched 19.15 points, or 0.2%, to 10,347.36
In Singapore, the Straits Times Index backpedaled 24.21 points, or 1%, to 2,518.16.
In Australia, the ASX 200 gained 25.51 points, or 0.5%, to 5,242.62.
In New Zealand, the NZX 50 docked 26.63 points, or 0.3%, to 10,419.48.
