FILE PHOTO: The logo of Swiss drugmaker Roche is seen at its headquarters in Basel, Switzerland January 30, 2020. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo

(Reuters) - Roche Holding AG said on Monday it has received the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s clearance to test its rheumatoid arthritis treatment on patients hospitalized with severe pneumonia caused by the coronavirus.

The company said it was beginning a late-stage study to test the drug in what would be the first well-controlled study of the drug, Actemra, on coronavirus patients.