Lilly to provide antibody therapies at Indiana hospitals for treating COVID-19

Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly) has joined hands with local health systems in the US state of Indiana to provide antibody therapies through dedicated infusion centre locations that will offer treatments for patients with COVID-19.

The antibody therapies, which are administered via intravenous infusion, have secured Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating high-risk patients mild to moderate COVID-19.

These infusion centres offer more locations where people can receive COVID-19 infusion treatments. Recently, Ascension St. Vincent Evansville launched a dedicated infusion center to serve high-risk COVID-19 patients in southern Indiana.

Similarly, the company has partnered with the State of Indiana, Community Health Network, Eskenazi Health and Franciscan Health to serve Central Indiana, and with Saint Joseph Health System, Beacon Health System and Goshen Health System to serve Northern Indiana, through two infusion centres in both areas.

Lilly claims that these centres have assisted in dispensing antibody infusion therapy to over 1,700 patients with high-risk COVID-19.

Lilly Clinical Development senior vice-president Rob Metcalf said: “Throughout the implementation of our COVID-19 antibody clinical development programme, we have identified multiple approaches to address many of the challenges this virus has presented, including complexities experienced with intravenous administration during the pandemic.

“We are pleased to share our insights with the goal of enabling health systems to quickly provide access to the COVID-19 antibody therapies needed to fight this devastating virus in high-risk symptomatic patients.”

Furthermore, Lilly opines that while establishing such infusion centres has offered treatment options, it has also given an opportunity to discover novel solutions to remove treatment barriers.

The company is also planning to share the insights with governments, health systems and other important stakeholders from these infusion centres and help other locations in offering treatment for high-risk COVID-19 patients. It is also inviting health systems who want to open such infusion centres.