March 28, 2024
Coronavirus | Herald-News


Coronavirus

Antibody treatment might reduce coronavirus hospitalizations

A new a SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody produced by Eli Lilly and Co. may reduce emergency room visits and hospitalization for patients with moderate COVID-19.

During an in interim analyses of a clinical trial, which is ongoing, the company found that the treatment LY-CoV555 reduced ER visits and hospitalization rate by 72%, according to a Sept. 16 news release by Lilly.

The treatment also helped the patients clear the virus sooner.

All four groups Lilly studied cleared the virus by the 11th day. Some of the patients who received the 2,800-milligram dose of LY-CoV555 cleared the virus by the third day, the release said,

None of the patients needed a ventilator. None of the patients died. Everyone tolerated the treatment well and no serious side effects were reported, the release said.

"These interim data from the BLAZE-1 trial suggest that LY-CoV555, an antibody specifically directed against SARS-CoV-2, has a direct antiviral effect and may reduce COVID-related hospitalizations," Dr. Daniel Skovronsky, Lilly's chief scientific officer and president of Lilly Research Laboratories, said in a news release. "The results reinforce our conviction that neutralizing antibodies can help in the fight against COVID-19."

Lilly plans to publish the results of this interim analysis in a peer-reviewed journal, the release said.