Eli Lilly Seeks Emergency Use Approval Of Antibody Drug

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Company asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to authorize emergency use of an experimental coronavirus antibody therapy. According to a company news release Wednesday, new data shows that the neutralizing antibody programs reduced symptoms, viral loads, hospitalizations and met primary and secondary endpoints. The company plans to make the therapies available to patients, used in recently diagnosed patients with mild-to-moderate coronavirus symptoms, according to a news release.

Lilly is developing the antibody treatment in a collaboration with Canadian biotech AbCellera Biologies, Inc.

"LY-CoV555 is a potent, neutralizing IgG1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) directed against the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2," Lilly said in the Wednesday news release. "It is designed to block viral attachment and entry into human cells, thus neutralizing the virus, potentially preventing and treating COVID-19."

Don't miss updates about precautions in the Indianapolis area as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.

The company added that Lilly scientists "rapidly developed the antibody in less than three months after it was discovered by AbCellera and the scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Vaccine Research Center. "

>> Read the entire statement

Patch will continue updating this developing story.