Coronavirus impacts Biogen; Takeda takes action

The coronavirus is taking a toll on Boston-area biotechs. As of Sunday evening, 15 new presumptive coronavirus cases had emerged in Massachusetts — all linked to a corporate Biogen meeting late last month. Although the Boston Public Health Commission confirmed that the patients don’t need to be hospitalized, they’re in self-quarantine. (Notably, former Biogen CEO George Scangos has been tapped by BIO to be the organization’s own coronavirus czar.)  

The company also noted that two of the Biogen employees who became “unwell” attended a subsequent conference in early March — the Cowen and Co. meeting at the Boston Marriott Copley Place. It’s still not known whether anyone else who attended Cowen has reported being ill. 

Meanwhile, Takeda has urged the vast majority of its 50,000 employees around the globe — including the 5,000-ish in the Boston area — to work from home to prevent the spread of virus.