Eli Lilly Begins Phase 3 Trial of Monoclonal Antibody for COVID-19 Prevention

Eli Lilly has begun a phase 3 trial of its monoclonal antibody LY-CoV555 for the prevention of COVID-19 in residents and staff at long-term care facilities.

It will enroll up to 2,400 residents and staff at facilities that have had a recently diagnosed case of COVID-19 and who are at a high risk of exposure.

The Indiana-based drugmaker has created customized mobile research units to support the on-site study. The units include a custom retrofitted recreational vehicle (RV) to support mobile labs and clinical trial material preparation, and a trailer truck to deliver supplies needed to create an on-site infusion clinic.

Lilly is conducting the trial in partnership with the NIH’s National Institutes for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), along with the COVID-19 Prevention Network and several long-term care facility networks.

LY-CoV555 is currently in phase 1 testing for hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The company is also enrolling for a separate phase 2 trial, testing the antibody for the treatment of patients recently diagnosed with COVID-19. — Jordan Williams