Lilly COVID-19 Antibody Has Role As Stopgap When Too Late To Vaccinate

Although much attention has focused lately on vaccines to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection, Eli Lilly and Company’s drug bamlanivimab may have a future as a way to prevent outbreaks in long-term care facilities, based on data from a Phase III study.

The Indianapolis-based drug maker said on 21 January that in the BLAZE-2 study, bamlanivimab reduced the risk of contracting COVID-19 by up to 80% among residents of nursing homes compared with placebo. The study enrolled 965 participants who were negative for COVID-19 at baseline, including 299 residents and 666 staff, with residents as a prespecified subgroup