FDA grants Eli Lilly emergency use authorization for bamlanivimab treatment for COVID-19

330
SHARE

According to the FDA, the authorization only covers healthcare providers who must administer bamlanivimab in an outpatient setting to adult and pediatric patients who tested positive for COVID-19 and are experiencing mild to moderate symptoms of the disease.

Healthcare providers must administer the antibody treatment as soon as possible after a positive COVID-19 diagnosis and within 10 days of the onset of a symptom. Bamlanivimab is administered through a single intravenous infusion.

In a statement, Eli Lilly Chairman and CEO David Ricks said, “This emergency authorization allows us to make bamlanivimab available as a COVID-19 treatment for recently diagnosed, high-risk patients – adding a valuable tool for doctors fighting the now-increasing burden of this global pandemic.”

On the other hand, Eli Lilly chief scientific officer Daniel Skovronsky, M.D., Ph.D., said, “The BLAZE-1 data show bamlanivimab, when given early in the disease course, may help patients clear the virus and reduce COVID-related hospitalizations, supporting our belief that neutralizing antibodies can be an important therapeutic option for patients fighting this virus.”