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The results are in from the first monoclonal antibody drug for COVID-19 tested in humans. The small Phase 2 clinical trial involving 452 participants shows the drug can reduce the need for hospitalization in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 symptoms compared to control patients. The drug’s manufacturer, Eli Lilly, released a statement announcing the trial results, and the raw data have not yet been peer-reviewed or published.
Convalescent plasma treatments, which work by giving a patient a myriad of antibodies from recovered COVID-19 patients, have received emergency use authorization from the US government, but their benefits are uncertain. Lilly’s LY-CoV555 is monoclonal and provides a singular, targeted antibody treatment that can be scaled up and provide consistent dosing. The medicine binds to the spike protein on the SARS-CoV-2 virus, preventing it from infecting cells. Other antibodies bind to the virus as well but can’t always block infection.
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