Takeda Pharmaceutical says it is developing coronavirus drug

What a kind and benevolent company Takeda is.

Go Takeda! The more people working on this stupid virus, the better.

Except, the thing seems to have mutated into several strains now....

They don't even have access to the virus!, Hopefully they can help but seems more of a stock pump press release

Many companies are working on this. Real news would be if they had completed their development and was rolling it out. This is just something to boost their stock price

talk about counting your eggs....

Its research requires access to the blood of people who have recovered from the respiratory disease or who have been vaccinated, once a vaccine is developed, Takeda said.

This virus will more than likely have died out this year/cycle, before any viable vaccine is marketable. So to do their research they need samples from people who are sick now.

So how long is this going to take? Lord only knows!

They don't even have access to the virus!, Hopefully they can help but seems more of a stock pump press release

I was thinking the same thing. Sounds just like another company that made a similar claim weeks ago, but nothing further afterwards.

Looking for a bump in their stock price?

In my opinion, these types of press releases could have the name TAKEDA removed and have any other large drug company name inserted!

Better they work together to find a vaccine, but they wont, because all of them are just interested in the profits!

@Yabaru

Yep indeed. Read something about that somewhere in the press, too. It's not going to happen, since no money in it. Huge risk, since if it suddenly goes away like SARS, for example, all that R&D wasted.

Better they work together to find a vaccine, but they wont, because all of them are just interested in the profits!

Not really necessary, these companies do not actually need to collaborate to do as much as they can, and competition can be the stimulus for each of them to invest as much as possible to be the first in developing something.

Each company has their own specialization, if one focus on simply adapting the most primitive approach (kill the virus, purify it and test it) another will focus on characterizing viral proteins to identify the most effective target for the antibodies, yet another will simply try tens of thousands of fragments of those proteins and see which one gives results protecting laboratory animals.

Any company making these kind of announcements means money dedicated to it, and pressure for anybody that is working on it.

Only stupid people would call a virus stupid as it is far from it. Nature finds a way, humans can’t play god forever.

jerryToday  08:14 am JST

talk about counting your eggs....

Chickens, Jerry chickens!! ;)

The more research in finding a treatable counter for this virus the better. If we can have G's summits on environment then we can V summits on viruses and diseases that are effecting everything. There should be more cross boarder collaboration to finding inoculations and treatments for the good of every living thing on this planet. The latest global death rate for the novel coronavirus is 3.4% — higher than earlier figures of about 2%. So, with that being said. Let's get busy on finding a solid counter.

If they discover anything it's a plus, plus their masks and eye drops provide extra cash to support any scientific research. Government will support them by planting 1M more pollination Cedar trees around Tokyo rather than non pollination variety. Rub my back I Rub yours. Personaly get your hands off me I feel uncomfortable.

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 U.S. Congress on Wednesday, it said in a statement.

Why ? I must be missing something here. Why would they care about the US congress ?

PR baby, PR. Plasma from people who have recovered will already have the antibodies so not really "developing" anything.

@Takeda said it was in talks with various health and regulatory agencies and healthcare partners in the United States, Asia and Europe to move forward its research into the drug.

Great job! Kudo's keep going. Finally a company that has planned and considered a majority of hurdles in their way forward thinking..Outstanding...

I read a 2016 study that showed a combination of the antibiotic Levofloxcin and the antiviral Tamiflu was quite effective against Severe Viral Pneumonia brought on by the flu, various corona viruses, and so on.

Going to try and get both of those. Cause when the poo hits the fan medicine will be hard to come by!

"but advised people to wear masks if they are coughing." I was listening to a top British health professor the other day on the radio, and he was asked about these masks, he basically said that they are a waste of space, one of the reasons was that virus particles are so small that the filters are not capable of filtering them out as the particles are to small to be filtered, the health authorities one that are use in hospital operating theatres are designed so that these particles don't get through, also these trow away one are of a poor fit, as they allow air to go around the side of the mask and when you exhale or inhale, gas masks or the heath authorities, use ones that fully seal around the side of your face, so nothing can get in or out.

Kind of like a gnat going through a chain link fence.

We have discussed the virtues and limits of masks here ad nauseam.

These viruses do not travel on their own. They hitch rides on splatter droplets which tend to get caught by mask filters.

Two people and two masks means two hurdles for breath, both in and out, and one on your face will remind you not to touch your nose and mouth.

Yes, we know, they are not 100% infallible.

Masks sensibly used can however be better than nothing at all, another tool in the box. Hand washing rules etc., still apply. Disinfect surfaces regularly, including your mobile phones.

For all you mask haters out there. Would you rather have someone sneeze in front of you with or without a mask on?

Its research requires access to the blood of people who have recovered from the respiratory disease or who have been vaccinated, once a vaccine is developed, Takeda said.

Surely if a vaccine is developed there would be little need for a drug that isn't a vaccine? Why not just develop a vaccine?

techallToday  02:48 pm JST

Kind of like a gnat going through a chain link fence.

Except that those gnats are all stuck on a softball, which can't get through the fence.

Everyone the planet knows that the Virus itself is too small to be stopped by a mask. But the easiest way for that virus to travel from one person to another is by being in aireborne moisture drops, ie; sneezes and coughs. The masks sold to tje public are sufficient to stop "most" of the water droplets. Hence the universal warning to wear masks and try and stay 2m away from others.

So, please lets stop being stupid and annoucing that "masks don't do anything". If you don't think they are worthwhile just don't wear one. Ease the demand for those who want them.

PS- I personally don't wear a mask, unless I am forced to be in a close/crowded situation. But I'm not going to criticize anyonewho does since I don't know if and when they may break into a hacking cough.

Most masks are not sealed around the face, in fact most of the air you breath or exhale goes around the mask. If it was really efficient you would feel suffocated when wearing one.

A lot of the transmission comes from touching items that have been contaminated, so I guess full of softballs.

Most infectious disease experts are saying that masks alone are inefficient (idiots!), Ossanamerica knows better.

Experts advise to use masks if you are dealing with an infected person, like health care professionals. But they can't get masks because everyone on the planet wants one.

I would rather spend 8 hours in a room with a lot of people who are not contagious (that's a safe place) than be on public transportation with a bunch of people who are wearing masks that don't seal their faces. False sense of security is dangerous.

But Ossanamerica is a health care professional so listen to him.

China is more advanced than anybody ,in fighting this virus, lots of time, the only method is trial and error

China may be the most advanced in fighting this virus in fighting this virus, but the cost is too high as trial and error. The real question should be why even attempt to genetically enhance an already known dangerous virus with no cure in the first place. The world had no issues with this virus before anyway?