Cluster of Covid-19 breaks out at Takeda
By Maurice Garvey
A CLUSTER of Covid-19 broke out at biopharma giant Takeda in Grange Castle.
The Echo understands some employees were recently diagnosed with Covid-19 at the Grange Castle plant and are recovering at home.
The Takeda site in Grange Castle Business Park
A source told The Echo the first case was confirmed on April 7, and on April 9, staff were moved to a more confined permanent office to allow for eco static cleaning.
“Since then, 10 staff have tested positive and all staff now have to be tested.”
A spokesperson for Takeda Ireland Limited, confirmed that some employees working at the Grange Castle site were recently diagnosed with Covid-19.
The spokesperson said: “The employees who were diagnosed with Covid-19 are recovering at home and being monitored by healthcare professionals.
“We are offering our support to these employees, as well as colleagues who may have had contact with these individuals prior to diagnosis.
“All employees who were working in the same area as the affected employees have been sent home.
“All other employees, whose presence on site is not critical to the continued supply of medicines have been asked to work from home until further notice.
“Takeda Grange Castle is monitoring the situation continuously and working closely with the authorities in order to ensure appropriate follow-up measures.”
Earlier this month, Takeda Pharmaceutical, Japan’s top drugmaker, suspended the development of a plasma therapy for Covid-19 after it failed to show effectiveness in clinical trials.
The company were working with other members of the CoVIg-19 Plasma Alliance, on a new treatment for the coronavirus using antibodies taken from the plasma of recovered patients.
Roughly 600 patients in 10 countries including Japan and the US had taken part in a Phase-3 clinical trial for the therapy led by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
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