Lilly to Supply the EU and EEA with up to 220,000 Doses of AbCellera-Discovered Bamlanivimab Together with Etesevimab for the Treatment of Confirmed COVID-19

Rhea-AI Summary

AbCellera (NASDAQ: ABCL) announced a Joint Procurement Agreement with the European Commission and Eli Lilly to supply up to 220,000 doses of bamlanivimab and etesevimab for COVID-19 treatment in Europe. This agreement allows EU/EEA countries to directly purchase these treatments after national approval. The two drugs effectively neutralize the highly contagious Delta variant, responsible for over 95% of new COVID-19 cases in the region. Bamlanivimab has already treated over 535,000 patients in the U.S., potentially preventing 25,000 hospitalizations.

Positive

• Joint Procurement Agreement to supply up to 220,000 doses of bamlanivimab and etesevimab enhances market presence.
• Potential to treat COVID-19 patients in the EU/EEA, expanding the customer base.
• Previous usage of bamlanivimab helped keep over 25,000 patients out of the hospital.

Negative

• None.

• Bamlanivimab and etesevimab administered together neutralize the Delta variant, which is currently the cause of over 95 percent of new COVID-19 infections in the EU/EEA
• Participating EU/EEA countries can purchase bamlanivimab together with etesevimab directly from Lilly following national approval for emergency use or marketing authorization at the EU level

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AbCellera (Nasdaq: ABCL) today announced the European Commission (EC) and Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly) have entered into a Joint Procurement Agreement to supply up to 220,000 doses of bamlanivimab together with etesevimab to treat confirmed COVID-19 in patients aged 12 years and older that do not require supplemental oxygen for COVID-19 and who are at increased risk of progressing to severe COVID-19. The agreement helps to provide access to treatments by enabling participating countries in the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) to purchase the products directly from Lilly following national approval for emergency use or marketing authorization at the EU level.

“It is important that we use every tool available to combat COVID-19. With the rise of the highly contagious Delta variant, it is critical that patients who need it have access to antibody therapies that can neutralize the virus and prevent the progression to severe illness,” said Carl Hansen, Ph.D., CEO and President of AbCellera.

In the U.S., bamlanivimab alone and together with etesevimab have been used to treat more than 535,000 patients, potentially keeping more than 25,000 patients out of the hospital and saving more than 10,000 lives. The Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for bamlanivimab together with etesevimab in the U.S. was recently expanded to include post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent COVID-19.

Pseudovirus and authentic virus studies demonstrate that bamlanivimab and etesevimab together retain neutralization activity against variants currently in circulation in many countries, including Delta and Alpha. Based on the high transmissibility of the Delta variant, currently over 95 percent of new COVID-19 infections in the EU/EEA have been identified as being caused by the Delta variant.

About AbCellera’s Response to COVID-19

AbCellera initially mobilized its pandemic response platform against COVID-19 in March of 2020, resulting in the discovery of bamlanivimab, the first monoclonal antibody therapy for COVID-19 to reach human testing and to be authorized for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Bamlanivimab alone and together with other antibodies has treated hundreds of thousands of patients, preventing COVID-19-related hospitalizations and death.

AbCellera’s ongoing efforts to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic have identified thousands of unique anti-SARS-CoV-2 human antibodies. These include bamlanivimab, bebtelovimab, and other antibodies that are in various stages of testing by AbCellera and its partners.

AbCellera’s pandemic response capabilities were developed over the past three years as part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Pandemic Prevention Platform (P3) program. The goal of the P3 program is to establish a robust technology platform for pandemic response capable of developing field-ready medical countermeasures within 60 days of isolation of an unknown viral pathogen.

About Bamlanivimab

Bamlanivimab is a recombinant, neutralizing human IgG1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) directed against the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2. It is designed to block viral attachment and entry into human cells, thus neutralizing the virus. Bamlanivimab was developed from an antibody that was discovered from the blood of a recovered COVID-19 patient using AbCellera’s pandemic response platform, in partnership with the Vaccine Research Center (VRC) at the National Institutes for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Within one week of receiving the sample, AbCellera screened over five million antibody-producing cells to identify and isolate approximately 500 unique antibodies that bind to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The binding antibodies were then tested by AbCellera, the VRC, and Lilly to find those most effective in neutralizing the virus. Bamlanivimab was selected as the lead candidate from this group of antibodies and was both the first therapeutic candidate specifically developed against SARS-CoV-2 to enter human clinical trials in North America, and to receive Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the FDA. Bamlanivimab alone and/or administered with etesevimab are authorized under special use pathways in more than 22 countries. In the U.S., bamlanivimab is currently only authorized for emergency use with etesevimab.

Results from a Phase 2/3 study in people recently diagnosed with COVID-19 in the ambulatory setting (BLAZE-1, NCT04427501) were published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Results from a Phase 3 study of bamlanivimab in residents and staff at long-term care facilities (BLAZE-2, NCT04497987) were published in the Journal of American Medical Association. A Phase 2 study assessing the efficacy and safety of bamlanivimab alone, and bamlanivimab with other neutralizing antibodies versus placebo for the treatment of symptomatic low-risk COVID-19 in the outpatient setting (BLAZE-4, NCT04634409) has completed enrollment.

About AbCellera Biologics Inc.

AbCellera is a technology company that searches, decodes, and analyzes natural immune systems to find antibodies that its partners can develop into drugs to prevent and treat disease. AbCellera partners with drug developers of all sizes, from large pharmaceutical to small biotechnology companies, empowering them to move quickly, reduce cost, and tackle the toughest problems in drug development. For more information, please visit www.abcellera.com.

AbCellera Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements are based on management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to management. All statements contained in this release other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including statements regarding our ability to develop, commercialize and achieve market acceptance of our current and planned products and services, our research and development efforts, and other matters regarding our business strategies, use of capital, results of operations and financial position, and plans and objectives for future operations.

In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the words “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “continue,” “ongoing” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. These statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and other factors are described under "Risk Factors," "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and elsewhere in the documents we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. We caution you that forward-looking statements are based on a combination of facts and factors currently known by us and our projections of the future, about which we cannot be certain. As a result, the forward-looking statements may not prove to be accurate. The forward-looking statements in this press release represent our views as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements for any reason, except as required by law.

Source: AbCellera Biologics Inc.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921006004/en/

Inquiries

Media: Jessica Yingling, Ph.D.; media@abcellera.com, +1(236)521-6774

Business Development: Neil Berkley; bd@abcellera.com, +1(604)559-9005

Investor Relations: Melanie Solomon; ir@abcellera.com, +1(778)729-9116

Source: AbCellera Biologics Inc.

FAQ

What is the significance of the Joint Procurement Agreement involving ABCL?

The agreement allows EU and EEA countries to purchase up to 220,000 doses of bamlanivimab and etesevimab for COVID-19 treatment directly from Lilly, enhancing access to crucial therapies.

How effective are bamlanivimab and etesevimab against COVID-19 variants?

Bamlanivimab and etesevimab effectively neutralize the Delta variant, which accounts for over 95% of new COVID-19 infections in the EU/EEA.

How many patients have been treated with bamlanivimab in the U.S.?

Bamlanivimab has been used to treat over 535,000 COVID-19 patients in the U.S., potentially preventing more than 25,000 hospitalizations.

What age group can receive bamlanivimab and etesevimab?

Bamlanivimab and etesevimab can be administered to patients aged 12 years and older who do not require supplemental oxygen.