Global bio-pharmaceutical company Takeda on March 4 said it has initiated development of a plasma-derived therapy for new coronavirus (COVID-19) and produce the therapy termed as "TAK-888".

The company said in a statement that it would share with members of the US Congress the development of an anti-SARS-CoV-2 polyclonal hyperimmune globulin (H-IG) to treat high-risk individuals with COVID-19. The would also study whether Takeda's currently marketed and pipeline products may be effective treatments for infected patients. SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes COVID-19.

Hyper immune globulins are plasma derived-therapies that have previously been shown to be effective in the treatment of severe acute viral respiratory infections and may be a treatment option for COVID-19. As a leader in plasma-derived therapies with more than 75 years of experience in the development of plasma-derived products, Takeda has the expertise to research, develop, and manufacture a potential therapy, referring to as "TAK-888," the company said. "As a company dedicated to the health and well-being of people around the world, we will do all that we can to address the novel coronavirus threat," said Dr Rajeev Venkayya, President of Takeda's Vaccine Business Unit and co-lead of the company's COVID-19 response team.

"We have identified relevant assets and capabilities across the company and are hopeful that we can expand the treatment options for patients with COVID-19 and the providers caring for them," Venkayya added. More than 92,000 cases have been confirmed worldwide and the number of deaths from the new virus has reached 3,110 globally, according to the WHO. Takeda is currently in discussions with multiple national health and regulatory agencies and health care partners in the US, Asia and Europe to expeditiously move the research into "TAK-888" forward.

This requires access to source plasma from people who have successfully recovered from COVID-19 or who have been vaccinated, once a vaccine is developed. These convalescent donors have developed antibodies to the virus that could potentially mitigate severity of illness in COVID-19 patients and possibly prevent it, said the company. "Plasma-derived therapies are critical, life-saving medicines that thousands of people with rare and complex diseases rely on every day around the world," said Dr Chris Morabito, Takeda's Head of Research and Development, Plasma-Derived Therapies Business Unit. In addition, Takeda is exploring whether select marketed therapies and molecules in its drug library could be viable candidates for the effective treatment of COVID-19.