Firm Begins First Human Study Of COVID-19 Antibody Treatment

A firm, Eli Lilly and Co, has  started an early-stage trial to test its potential treatment for COVID-19.

The  trial is the world’s first study of an antibody treatment against the disease.

Reuters reports that Lilly is one of the several drug makers and research institutions  working on vaccines, antivirals and other treatments to help those infected with coronavirus.

The firm said its early stage study would assess safety and tolerability in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and results are expected  by the end of June.

The experimental treatment, LY-CoV555, has been developed through collaboration with privately held AbCellera Biologics, which Lilly partnered with in March.

According to the report, Lilly’s treatment is an antibody directed against the spike-shaped protein structures of the virus and is designed to block it from locking on to human cells, thus neutralizing the virus.

The drugmaker said the antibody treatment was developed after it was identified from a blood sample taken from one of the first U.S. patients who recovered from the lung illness caused by the new coronavirus.
Lilly said it expected to move into the next phase of testing, studying the potential treatment in non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients, if the drug is shown to be safe.

Rival Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc has said it plans to start clinical studies in June to test its antibody cocktail treatment for the new coronavirus and is aiming to have hundreds of thousands of preventative doses available by the end of August.

Lilly’s shares were up 2.5% at $156.75 before the bell.