More Drugmakers Enlist to Supply Coronavirus Countermeasures

More drugmakers have unveiled plans for countermeasures against the coronavirus as experts forecast that the outbreak is almost certain to become a pandemic.

Gilead announced that it has partnered with health officials in China to begin a randomized, controlled trial to see if its investigational antiviral remdesivir can be used to treat the novel virus called 2019-nCov. The company has already supplied the drug to a small number of infected patients for emergency treatment.

AbbVie is donating $1.5 million worth of its HIV treatment Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir), also known as Aluvia, which China recommended as a treatment for pneumonia caused by the novel virus.

In addition to antiviral treatments, more companies are entering the race to develop a vaccine. GlaxoSmithKline is partnering with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to make its pandemic vaccine adjuvant technology available.

Other vaccine developers, including Johnson & Johnson, Moderna Therapeutics and Inovio Pharmaceuticals, previously announced plans to develop vaccines.