All you need to know about teh Eli Lilly COVID-19 antibody treatment plan!
The pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly will sell its antibody treatment against COVID-19 commercially, in what represents an important change in the distribution model.
Eli Lilly, an American company and one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, plans to begin commercial sales of its monoclonal antibody treatment against COVID-19 this month, aimed at states, territories, hospitals and other health care providers in the United States.
This movement, which would take place from the week of August 15, according to a company spokeswoman, supposes a change in the distribution model of both this and most products against the coronavirus (vaccines and treatments) and would imply an important test with which to see if these can continue to be accessible if they are moved to a commercial market, reports The Wall Street Journal.
Eli Lilly COVID-19 antibody treatment
So far, Eli Lilly sold all doses of its bebtelovimab drug through contracts with the US government, which has overseen their allocation and made them available to patients free of charge.
However, the supply of the drug will be exhausted in the week of August 22 and the government does not have funds to expand it, the spokeswoman says in a statement.
"I do not foresee that this will in any way stimulate the use of the product. It's more about how to keep it available even though the American government can no longer buy it. That's why we are changing the model," explains Daniel Skovronsky, scientific and medical director of Lilly, in statements collected by WSJ.
The concern now arises to guarantee equitable access to this drug, especially to patients without health insurance (8% of Americans) and with low incomes, for which the company is in talks with the HHS (US Department of Health and Human Services) and hopes to have coverage of the Medicare and Medicaid health programs.
Eli Lilly COVID-19 antibody treatment details
Bebtelovimab is a drug authorized for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in adults and children (from 12 years of age and weighing 40 kg) with positive results in direct viral coronavirus tests and who are at high risk for progression to severe covid (including hospitalization or death).
It is administered as an intravenous injection and its use is aimed at those people for whom other options approved or authorized (Paxlovid and Veklury) by the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) "are not available or are not clinically appropriate".
Eli Lilly COVID-19 antibody treatment summary
- Eli Lilly, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, will start selling its bebtelovimab drug against COVID-19 commercially.
- This is a change in the distribution model, motivated by the lack of supply and funding from the US Government, which is an important test and could be followed by other treatments and vaccines.
