Lilly’s antibody could reduce COVID-19 risk by 80%, trial shows
pharmafile | January 22, 2021 | News story | Medical Communications | COVID-19, Eli Lilly
Eli Lilly’s neutralising antibody bamlanivimab significantly reduced the risk of contracting symptomatic coronavirus among residents and staff of long-term care facilities, the firm has announced.
The Phase III BLAZE-2 COVID-19 prevention trial – conducted in partnership with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the COVID-19 Prevention Network (CoVPN) – enrolled residents and staff at nursing homes across the US, and showed that the antibody can reduce risk by up to 80%.
After all participants reached eight weeks of follow-up, there was a significantly lower frequency of symptomatic COVID-19 in the bamlanivimab treatment arm versus placebo.
For the pre-specified subgroup of nursing home residents, there was also a significantly lower frequency of symptomatic COVID-19 in those treated with bamlanivimab versus placebo. The study’s results suggest that residents randomised to Lilly’s treatment have up to an 80% lower risk of contracting COVID-19 compared with residents in the same facility randomised to placebo.
Dr Daniel Skovronsky, Lilly’s Chief Scientific Officer and President of Lilly Research Laboratories, said: “We are exceptionally pleased with these positive results, which showed bamlanivimab was able to help prevent COVID-19, substantially reducing symptomatic disease among nursing home residents, some of the most vulnerable members of our society.
“These data provide important additional clinical evidence regarding the use of bamlanivimab to fight COVID-19 and strengthen our conviction that monoclonal antibodies such as bamlanivimab can play a critical role in turning the tide of this pandemic.
“We’re glad bamlanivimab is already available as a treatment for patients at high risk for progressing to severe COVID-19 illness or hospitalisation, including those in nursing homes, and look forward to working with regulators to explore expanding the emergency use authorisation to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in these facilities.”
Bamlanivimab is authorised for emergency use by the FDA for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in high-risk patients.
Darcy Jimenez
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