Pharma giants race to find pandemic antibody test
Pharmaceutical firms are racing to develop a test that could tell whether people have had Covid-19.
Swiss giant Roche is the latest to say it's making progress.
On Friday (April 17) it said it hoped to offer a blood test from next month.
The Basel-based firm says it's had people working through nights and weekends on development.
It plans to boost production to 'high double-digit millions' per month.
The news follows similar announcements from companies including Abbot Laboratories in the U.S., and Italy's DiaSorin.
Experts say such tests will be critical to establishing the spread of the disease, and managing countermeasures.
But some think big pharma is still too bent on competition.
On Friday a group of leading investors said they were urging the industry's top names to join forces.
They've written to firms including Roche and Johnson & Johnson, telling them it's time to set aside rivalries.
The letter sets down principles that the companies should follow, including keeping prices reasonable.
Some signatories said they could threaten to disinvest in companies that don't play ball.
