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Eli Lilly receives emergency approval for antibody treatment

By Madison Parry

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave emergency use authorization to Eli Lilly for its COVID-19 antibody drug. Approval of the treatment is the first the FDA has issued for COVID-19, and applies only for those recently diagnosed high-risk patients.

The first emergency use authorization (EUA) for a COVID-19 treatment has been given to Eli Lilly by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Permission for emergency use was granted Monday for Lilly’s COVID-19 antibody treatment called bamlanivimab.

Authorization for its use has only been approved for individuals who have recently diagnosed, are at high-risk and are at least 12 years of age. This includes those over 65 and obese, according to the FDA.

Eli Lilly said their treatment bamlanivimab should be administered as soon as possible after a positive coronavirus test and within 10 days of developing symptoms.

“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,” David A. Ricks, chairman and CEO of Eli Lilly, said in a news release.

In October, the American pharmaceutical company announced it had reached a $375 million deal to sell 300,000 doses of the treatment to the U.S. government.