Eli Lilly Halts Trial For COVID-19 Treatment On Hospitalized Patients

Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly has ended testing its COVID-19 antibody therapy on hospitalized patients. Earlier this month, Eli Lilly temporarily suspended the trial for the drug due to a safety concern.

In a news release, the company said recent data showed there wasn’t a significant difference in outcomes for COVID-19 patients in advanced stages who received the treatment compared to those who did not.

The trial was evaluating recovery chances for severe cases when the drug was administered in combination with an antiviral medication that was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

READ MORE: Study Pauses Are More Common, Essential To Clinical Trials

This study was being done in partnership with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and that was the only one testing bamlanivimab in COVID-19 hospitalized patients.

The pharmaceutical company will continue trials of the drug in other settings including nursing homes.

Contact reporter Samantha at shorton@wfyi.org or follow her on Twitter at @SamHorton5.