Eli Lilly Claims its Antibody Drug Can Prevent COVID-Related Illness in Nursing Homes
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Drugmaker Eli Lilly said Thursday its antibody-drug can prevent COVID-19 illness in residents and staff of nursing homes and other long-term care locations.
It’s the first major study to show such treatment may prevent illness in a group that has been devastated by the pandemic.
Residents and staff who got the drug had up to a 57% lower risk of getting COVID-19 compared to others at the same facility who got a placebo, the drugmaker said. Among nursing home residents only, the risk was reduced by up to 80%.
The study involved more than 1,000 residents and staff at nursing homes and other long-term care locations like assisted living homes. The vast majority tested negative at the start of the study. Some were assigned to get the drug, called bamlanivimab and which is given through an IV, and others got placebo infusions.
