Eli Lilly says antibody therapy reduces hospitalisation, virus presence in COVID patients

Eli Lilly and Co. has said that a preliminary study showed that its experimental antibody treatment for COVID-19 reduced the rate at which symptomatic patients were hospitalized compared to a placebo. Eli Lilly along with its partner AbCellera Biologics Inc. is currently developing neutralizing antibodies derived from one of the earliest patients in the US to coronavirus.

Interim results from a mid-stage trial that evaluated multiple dosages of the experimental antibody treatment LY-Cov555 showed that there was a 1.7 per cent rate of hospitalization and ER visits associated with the treatment. On the other hand, people who took a placebo were associated with a six per cent rate of hospital visits. This all amounts for 72 per cent of education of risk. As per Bloomberg, no patients in the study progressed to mechanical ventilation or died.

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Lowered virus presence

In addition to lowered hospitalization, the results also showed that one of three doses of the antibody-drug tested against Covid-19 lowered the amount of virus present 11 days after patients received the treatment compared to the placebo. 2,800-milligram dose version of the drug came out to be the optimal version as it successfully reduced the viral load while the 700 mg and 7,000 mg doses did not achieve that endpoint. “Most patients, including those receiving the placebo, demonstrated near-complete viral clearance by the eleventh day,” the company claimed.

Apart from Eli Lilly, there are a handful of other firms, including Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., AstraZeneca Plc., GlaxoSmithKline Plc and its partner Vir Biotechnology Inc. which are indulged in the business of developing antibody therapies to combat COVID-19. Meanwhile Eli Lilly, in a statement said that it was looking forward to publishing the results of the study in a peer-reviewed journal and discuss appropriate steps with the regulators.

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 Image credits: AP