Potential coronavirus treatment granted rare disease status

The pharmaceutical giant that makes a promising coronavirus drug has registered it as a rare disease treatment with U.S. regulators, a status that can potentially be worth millions in tax breaks and competition-free sales.Experts who have studied the so-called “orphan drug” program say the company's request — and the Food and Drug Administration's decision to grant it — seem inappropriate given the rapidly expanding threat of the viral outbreak.The FDA granted the status