Takeda Pharma developing drug to treat coronavirus

TOKYO: Takeda Pharmaceutical Co said it was developing a drug to treat COVID-19, the flu-like illness that has struck more than 90,000 people worldwide and killed over 3,000. The Japanese drug maker is working on a plasma-derived therapy to treat high-risk individuals infected with the new coronavirus and will share its plans with members of the US Congress on Wednesday, it said. Takeda is also studying whether its currently marketed and pipeline products may be effective treatments for infected patients. “We will do all that we can to address the novel coronavirus threat...(and) are hopeful that we can expand the treatment options,” Rajeev Venkayya, president of Takeda’s vaccine business, said in the statement. — Reuters