Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) announced that it had amended purchase agreements with the U.S. government to prioritize using two monoclonal antibodies — bamlanivimab and etesevimab — in tandem.
In March, the U.S. government announced that it would stop using bamlanivimab alone, given its reduced efficacy against some SARS-CoV-2 variants.
But pairing anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies together can offer more robust protection against variants. Using two of the monoclonal antibodies together is more protective than administering either alone.
The COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel of the National Institutes of Health has recommended pairing Lilly’s bamlanivimab with etesevimab or Regeneron’s (NSDQ:REGN) cocktail combining casirivimab and imdevimab.
Bamlanivimab and etesevimab image courtesy of Eli Lilly.
Regeneron’s REGEN-COV drug is an antibody cocktail combining casirivimab and imdevimab.
Bamlanivimab and etesevimab have been granted emergency use authorization but have not been approved by FDA.
Tell Us What You Think!