A new coronavirus  antibody test could be "available from next month,"  according to Roche, the Swiss pharmaceuticals giant.

Roche is also working with the US Federal Drug Administration (FDA)  on a phase three clinical trial to evaluate the safety of Actemra, a drug used to treat cytokine release syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis, two inflammatory diseases. 

Roche CEO, Severin Schwan, spoke with CGTN Europe about how the drug could be made available in just a few weeks. 

"We are very excited to offer a very reliable antibody test as of next month, and we are convinced that this will be a big contribution to help fight this pandemic" said Schwan. 

He also said that it could take up to 12-18 months for a vaccine to be tested, developed and then ramped up for production and distribution. He said it looks likely that we will see a vaccine towards the end of next year. 

Schwan said that the test, which could be made available to millions around the world, is different from other antibody tests. 

"We and some other companies have invested a lot in improving the quality and in validating and testing the new antibody tests." he said. 

"We expect a very high specificity, a very high reliability of this test, which should even be beyond the estimate of 95%" Schwan continued. 

When talking about the outlook of the company at this time, Schwan said Roche is also expected to grow in the low to mid-single digits. 

"The industry has shown that it is possible to make these vaccines also available at very low prices" said Schwan, when asked about making the drug available in emerging markets, including China.

"I am convinced that China is not only going to soon be the biggest market in the world but also one of the main hubs for innovation. 

"So, we believe it is a good place to invest, to do research and development, to develop new innovative medicines and tests made in China, for China, but also for the rest of the world." said Schwan.