Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. could start a clinical trial as early as July for a potential treatment for COVID-19 based on antibodies in blood from recovered coronavirus patients, company executives said.
The clinical trial would include hundreds of patients and take several months to complete. If successful, Takeda could file for approval by U.S. authorities this year, said Julie Kim, president of the plasma-derived therapies unit of Takeda.
"When the product will be available beyond the clinical study is still a bit unclear," Kim said Wednesday on an investor call. "But we do expect that before the end of the year, we should see some information in terms of broader use."