Eli Lilly & Co, an international pharmaceutical company of American origin, has begun testing a coronavirus antibody drug in nursing homes in a study called BLAZE-2. The study began on Monday and will be applied to nursing homes in various U.S. states, marking the beginning of clinical phase 3 of the monoclonal antibody drug developed jointly by Elli Lilly & Co and AbCellera Biologics Inc. The study includes up to 2,400 volunteers from these institutions who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or are at risk of exposure.
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Origin and usefulness of the coronavirus drug
The antibodies used in the manufacture of the drug come from the first patients who recovered from the Covid-19 infection. Participants are given a dose of the drug in order to see how it can reduce contagion rates or how treatment results in those who are already infected, within four and eight weeks, respectively, the company reported in a press release. Antibody treatments are considered a supplement to vaccines, which may not cause the immune response needed when given to older people or compromised immune systems. Since these are the groups most at risk of their condition getting worse or die if they get coronavirus, successful antibody treatment could have a noticeable effect on reducing the number of deaths from the pandemic, which already accounts for more than 18.1 million contagions and has claimed the lives of nearly 700,000 people worldwide , according to data from Johns Hopkins University.Other laboratories in the world are also looking for antibody-based treatments such as AstraZeneca Plc and GlaxoSmithKline Plc and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, the latter has been awarded a US$450 million contract to increase production, although it is still in the middle of testing. If Elli Lilly & Co’s antibody treatment works, the company expects to make more than 100 thousand doses by the end of the year. You may be interested: Increased social supports for Covid-19 patients in EscuinapaCuba and UK create a joint drug companyWhat drugs and treatments have been shown to work and which are not for covid?
