Eli Lilly’s COVID-19 Antibody and Combo Therapy Gets Positive EMA Recommendation

The European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has recommended Eli Lilly’s monoclonal antibody bamlanivimab as a COVID-19 treatment, as well as in combination with etesevimab.

The committee found that bamlanivimab alone and bamlanivimab with etesevimab can be used for treating COVID-19 in patients age 12 and up who are at high risk of progressing to severe illness but don’t require supplemental oxygen.

The expert panel noted results from phase 2 and 3 trials that showed bamlanivimab alone reduced viral load and symptoms and reduced COVID-19 hospitalizations by approximately 70 percent. The combination therapy also performed well, reducing the risk of COVID-19 hospitalizations and death by 70 percent in mild-to-moderate, high-risk COVID-19 patients.