Takeda halts development of COVID-19 plasma therapy

Japanese drugmaker had counted on technology boost from Shire acquisition

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A nurse attends to a patient suffering from COVID-19 at a hospital in Spain.  © Reuters

KENYA AKAMA, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- Takeda Pharmaceutical has suspended the development of a plasma therapy for COVID-19 after it failed to show effectiveness in clinical trials, according to a Tuesday disclosure to investors.

Japan's top drugmaker, along with U.S.-based CSL Behring and other members of the CoVIg-19 Plasma Alliance, had been working on a new treatment for the coronavirus using antibodies taken from the plasma of recovered patients.

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