EMA Recommends Eli Lilly’s COVID-19 Antibody and Combo Therapy

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. With the CHMP’s positive opinion, the European Commission is likely to authorize use of the monoclonal antibodies as a new weapon against the virus.

In forming its opinion on the treatments, the EMA assessed 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.