Rival drugmakers launch joint trial of medicines for Covid-19

A healthcare worker dressed in personal protective equipment handles a vial containing a swab sample at a mobile Covid-19 testing facility in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Wednesday, July 29, 2020. Photographer: Dimas Ardian/Bloomberg

RIVAL drugmakers AbbVie Inc, Amgen Inc and Takeda Pharmaceuticals Inc on Monday said they have begun treating patients in a trial to quickly show whether a drug from each company can be repurposed and used against COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

The COVID-19 pandemic is an "all hands on deck moment," David Reese, Amgen's research and development chief told Reuters. "We wanted a trial to be able to quickly sift through multiple agents and prioritize."