Multinational pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly announced on Tuesday that a combination treatment of two monoclonal antibodies that it developed has the ability to reduce the rate of COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths, by some 70%.
The results stem from a phase 3 trial that Eli Lilly conducted involving approximately 1,035 patients, some of whom were given a combination of neutralizing antibodies; bamlanivimab and etesevimab, while others formed the trial’s placebo group.
Analyzing the findings of the trial, researchers determined that when bamlanivimab and etesevimab were both administered to participants, the treatment “demonstrated statistically significant improvements” and provided “strong evidence that the therapy reduced viral load and accelerated symptom resolution.”
The combination therapy saw just 11 “events” including hospitalizations, whereas 36 events were recorded in the placebo group. The Eli Lilly statement noted there were 10 deaths during the trial, all involving individuals in the placebo group.
“These exciting results, which replicate positive Phase 2 data in a much larger set of patients, add valuable clinical evidence about the role neutralizing antibodies can play in fighting this pandemic,” said Daniel Skovronsky, the chief scientific office and president of Lilly Research Laboratories, in a statement accompanying the release.
“Notably, the 70% decrease in risk of hospitalizations or death seen in this Phase 3 trial of bamlanivimab and etesevimab together is consistent with the reduction in risk of hospitalization or [emergency room] visits seen with bamlanivimab alone in the Phase 2 trial.”
An emergency use authorization (EUA) was granted for bamlanivimab by the US Food and Drug Administration in early November 2020 to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 diagnoses in adult and pediatric sufferers.
It’s unclear if and whether an EUA will be granted for the combination treatment.
Eli Lilly’s announcement came days after the company reported that bamlanivimab alone cut the chances of nursing home staff and residents developing symptomatic COVID-19 infections by 80%, compared to the placebo group.