Lilly announces additional doses of neutralizing antibody therapy purchased by U.S. government to treat COVID-19

Rhea-AI Summary

The U.S. government has purchased a minimum of 100,000 doses of bamlanivimab (LY-CoV555) and etesevimab (LY-CoV016) from Eli Lilly for $210 million to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 in high-risk patients. This follows their emergency use authorization for such treatments. Additional doses may be purchased, totaling up to 1,200,000 units under certain conditions. The NIH recommends these antibodies to help reduce severe COVID-19 cases. The purchase is part of Lilly's ongoing efforts to combat COVID-19 with their neutralizing antibodies.

Positive

• U.S. government purchase of 100,000 doses for $210 million enhances revenue.
• Emergency use authorization for bamlanivimab and etesevimab supports their clinical utility.
• NIH recommends the use of these treatments, potentially increasing demand.

Negative

• Bamlanivimab and etesevimab have not been FDA approved for any use.
• Serious and unexpected adverse events including hypersensitivity may occur.

INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. government has agreed to purchase a minimum of 100,000 doses of bamlanivimab (LY-CoV555) 700 mg and etesevimab (LY-CoV016) 1400 mg together, Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) announced. Bamlanivimab and etesevimab together recently received emergency use authorization for the treatment of recently diagnosed, mild to moderate COVID-19 in patients who are at high risk of progressing to severe COVID-19 and/or hospitalization. Additionally, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently updated the COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines to recommend the use of bamlanivimab plus etesevimab for the treatment of outpatients with mild to moderate COVID-19 who are at high risk of clinical progression.

The purchase agreement is for $210 million and doses will be delivered through March 31, 2021. The U.S. government will have the option to purchase up to an additional 1,100,000 doses through November 25, 2021, under the same terms as the base agreement and subject to agreement from Lilly, product availability and the medical need in the U.S.

This purchase adds to the supply of neutralizing antibodies already available for use in the U.S. The government has already committed to purchase a total of 1,450,000 doses of bamlanivimab alone, which includes more than 1 million doses that have been delivered and an agreement to deliver 450,000 additional doses by March 31, 2021. The government has said it will provide neutralizing antibodies at no out-of-pocket cost to patients, although healthcare facilities may charge a fee for the product's administration.

"Every day, thousands of Americans are diagnosed with COVID-19, with many at high risk of progressing to more severe disease. In our clinical trials, Lilly's neutralizing antibody therapies significantly reduced the risk of hospitalizations and death," said David A. Ricks, Lilly's chairman and CEO. "The NIH recommendation provides additional guidance to clinicians treating high-risk patients with COVID-19, who now have another treatment option that could keep more people out of the hospital and save lives."

Lilly will begin shipping these additional doses immediately. The federal government directs the distribution of bamlanivimab alone and bamlanivimab and etesevimab together. Additional details can be viewed at the online federal dashboard and healthcare facilities can order directly from the distributor here.

For more information about the use of bamlanivimab alone and bamlanivimab and etesevimab together, contact Lilly's 24-hour support line at 1-855-LillyC19 (1-855-545-5921). Patients and physicians can visit covid.infusioncenter.org or the HHS Therapeutic Distribution locator to find a potential treatment location, or visit combatcovid.hhs.gov to find out more about antibody therapy.

Important Information about bamlanivimab alone and bamlanivimab and etesevimab together
Bamlanivimab and etesevimab together and bamlanivimab alone have not been approved by the FDA for any use. It is not known if bamlanivimab and etesevimab together or bamlanivimab alone are safe and effective for the treatment of COVID-19. 

Bamlanivimab and etesevimab together and bamlanivimab alone are authorized under Emergency Use Authorization only for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of the emergency use under Section 564(b)(1) of the Act, 21 U.S.C § 360bbb-3(b)(1), unless the authorization is terminated or revoked sooner.

Healthcare providers should review the Fact Sheet for information on the authorized use of bamlanivimab and etesevimab together and bamlanivimab alone and mandatory requirements of the EUA. Please see the FDA Letter of Authorization, Fact Sheet for Healthcare Providers, and Fact Sheet for Patients, Parents and Caregivers (English) (Spanish) for bamlanivimab and etesevimab together. Please see the FDA Letter of Authorization, Fact Sheet for Healthcare Providers, and Fact Sheet for Patients, Parents and Caregivers (English) (Spanish) for bamlanivimab alone.

Authorized Use and Important Safety Information
Bamlanivimab and etesevimab together and bamlanivimab alone are authorized for use under EUA for treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in adults and pediatric patients (12 years of age and older weighing at least 40 kg) with positive results of direct SARS-CoV-2 viral testing, and who are at high risk for progressing to severe COVID-19 and/or hospitalization.

Limitations of Authorized Use

• Bamlanivimab and etesevimab together and bamlanivimab alone are not authorized for use in patients:
• who are hospitalized due to COVID-19, OR
• who require oxygen therapy due to COVID-19, OR
• who require an increase in baseline oxygen flow rate due to COVID-19 in those on chronic oxygen therapy due to underlying non-COVID-19 related comorbidity.
• Treatment with bamlanivimab and etesevimab together has not been studied in patients hospitalized due to COVID-19. Benefit of treatment with bamlanivimab alone has not been observed in patients hospitalized due to COVID-19. Monoclonal antibodies, such as bamlanivimab and etesevimab, may be associated with worse clinical outcomes when administered to hospitalized patients with COVID-19 requiring high flow oxygen or mechanical ventilation.

Important Safety Information
There are limited clinical data available for bamlanivimab and etesevimab together and bamlanivimab alone. Serious and unexpected adverse events may occur that have not been previously reported with bamlanivimab and etesevimab together and bamlanivimab alone.

Hypersensitivity Including Anaphylaxis and Infusion-Related Reactions
Serious hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis, have been observed with administration of bamlanivimab and etesevimab together and bamlanivimab alone. If signs and symptoms of a clinically significant hypersensitivity reaction or anaphylaxis occur, immediately discontinue administration and initiate appropriate medications and/or supportive care.

Infusion-related reactions have been observed with administration of bamlanivimab and etesevimab together and bamlanivimab alone. These reactions may be severe or life threatening. Signs and symptoms of infusion-related reactions may include:

• fever, difficulty breathing, reduced oxygen saturation, chills, fatigue, arrhythmia (e.g. atrial fibrillation, sinus tachycardia, bradycardia), chest pain or discomfort, weakness, altered mental status, nausea, headache, bronchospasm, hypotension, hypertension, angioedema, throat irritation, rash including urticaria, pruritus, myalgia, dizziness, and diaphoresis.

If an infusion-related reaction occurs, consider slowing or stopping the infusion and administer appropriate medications and/or supportive care.

Clinical Worsening After Bamlanivimab Administration
Clinical worsening of COVID-19 after administration of bamlanivimab has been reported and may include signs or symptoms of fever, hypoxia or increased respiratory difficulty, arrhythmia (e.g., atrial fibrillation, sinus tachycardia, bradycardia), fatigue, and altered mental status. Some of these events required hospitalization. It is not known if these events were related to bamlanivimab use or were due to progression of COVID-19.

Limitations of Benefit and Potential Risk in Patients with Severe COVID-19
Treatment with bamlanivimab and etesevimab together has not been studied in patients hospitalized due to COVID-19. Benefit of treatment with bamlanivimab alone has not been observed in patient hospitalized due to COVID-19. Monoclonal antibodies, such as bamlanivimab and etesevimab, may be associated with worse clinical outcomes when administered to hospitalized patients with COVID-19 requiring high flow oxygen or mechanical ventilation. See Limitations of Authorized Use.

Adverse Events
Bamlanivimab and etesevimab together
Based on Phase 2 data from BLAZE-1, nausea was the most commonly reported adverse event, reported by 4% of subjects in both bamlanivimab and etesevimab together and placebo groups. Pruritus and pyrexia were more frequently reported from subjects treated with both bamlanivimab and etesevimab (2% and 1%) compared to placebo (1% and 0%, respectively).

Based on Phase 3 data from BLAZE-1, the most common adverse events were nausea, dizziness, and rash. These events each occurred in 1% of subjects treated with bamlanivimab and etesevimab together and in 1% of placebo subjects.

Bamlanivimab alone
Adverse events reported in at least 1% of BLAZE-1 clinical trial participants on bamlanivimab 700 mg alone or placebo were nausea (3% vs 4%), diarrhea (1% vs 5%), dizziness (3% vs 2%), headache (3% vs 2%), pruritus (2% vs 1%) and vomiting (1% vs 3%).

Use in Specific Populations
Pregnancy
There are insufficient data on the use of bamlanivimab and etesevimab together and bamlanivimab alone during pregnancy. Bamlanivimab and etesevimab together and bamlanivimab alone should only be used during pregnancy if the potential benefit outweighs the potential risk for the mother and the fetus.

Breastfeeding
There are no available data on the presence of bamlanivimab or etesevimab in human or animal milk, the effects on the breastfed infant, or the effects on milk production. Breastfeeding individuals with COVID-19 should follow practices according to clinical guidelines to avoid exposing the infant to COVID-19.

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, potentially treating COVID-19. Bamlanivimab emerged from the collaboration between Lilly and AbCellera to create antibody therapies for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. Lilly scientists rapidly developed the antibody in less than three months after it was discovered by AbCellera and the scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Vaccine Research Center. It was identified from a blood sample taken from one of the first U.S. patients who recovered from COVID-19. 

Lilly has successfully completed a Phase 1 study of bamlanivimab in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 (NCT04411628). A Phase 2/3 study in people recently diagnosed with COVID-19 in the ambulatory setting (BLAZE-1, NCT04427501) is ongoing, and results from the Phase 2 cohorts of BLAZE-1 were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and The Journal of the American Medical Association. A Phase 3 study of bamlanivimab alone or bamlanivimab and etesevimab together in residents and staff at long-term care facilities (BLAZE-2, NCT04497987) is also ongoing. In addition, bamlanivimab is being tested in the National Institutes of Health-led ACTIV-2 study in ambulatory COVID-19 patients.

About etesevimab
Etesevimab (LY-CoV016, also known as JS016) is a recombinant fully human monoclonal neutralizing antibody, which specifically binds to the SARS-CoV-2 surface spike protein receptor binding domain with high affinity and can block the binding of the virus to the ACE2 host cell surface receptor. Point mutations were introduced into the native human IgG1 antibody to mitigate effector function. Lilly licensed etesevimab from Junshi Biosciences after it was jointly developed by Junshi Biosciences and the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Science (IMCAS). Junshi Biosciences leads development in Greater China, while Lilly leads development in the rest of the world.

Lilly has successfully completed a Phase 1 study (NCT04441931) of etesevimab in healthy U.S. volunteers to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and immunogenicity. A Phase 2/3 study in people recently diagnosed with COVID-19 in the ambulatory setting (BLAZE-1, NCT04427501) is ongoing. Junshi Biosciences has completed a similar Phase 1 study in healthy volunteers in China and has initiated Phase 1b/2 trials in COVID-19 patients globally.

About Lilly's COVID-19 Efforts  
Lilly is bringing the full force of its scientific and medical expertise to attack the coronavirus pandemic around the world. Existing Lilly medicines are being studied to understand their potential in treating complications of COVID-19, and the company is collaborating with partner companies to discover and develop novel antibody treatments for COVID-19. Lilly is testing both single antibody therapy as well as combinations of antibodies as potential therapeutics for COVID-19. Click here for resources related to Lilly's COVID-19 efforts.

About Eli Lilly and Company  
Lilly is a global health care leader that unites caring with discovery to create medicines that make life better for people around the world. We were founded more than a century ago by a man committed to creating high-quality medicines that meet real needs, and today we remain true to that mission in all our work. Across the globe, Lilly employees work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. To learn more about Lilly, please visit us at www.lilly.com and www.lilly.com/news. P-LLY

Lilly Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements 

This press release contains forward-looking statements (as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) about bamlanivimab (LY-CoV555) alone and bamlanivimab and etesevimab (LY-CoV016) together as potential treatments for patients with or at risk of infection from COVID-19, as well as their supply, delivery, and additional contracts with the U.S. government. These statements reflect Lilly's current beliefs and expectations. However, as with any such undertaking, there are substantial risks and uncertainties in the process of drug research, development and commercialization. Among other things, there can be no guarantee that future study results will be consistent with the results to date, that bamlanivimab alone or bamlanivimab and etesevimab together will prove to be safe and effective treatments or successful preventative therapies for COVID-19, that bamlanivimab alone or bamlanivimab and etesevimab together will receive regulatory approvals or additional authorizations, that patients will volunteer to participate in clinical trials or achieve positive outcomes, that Lilly will obtain any additional purchase orders or supply contracts, or that Lilly can provide an adequate supply of bamlanivimab alone or bamlanivimab and etesevimab together in all circumstances. For a further discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from Lilly's expectations, please see Lilly's most recent Forms 10-K and 10-Q filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Lilly undertakes no duty to update forward-looking statements. 

Refer to:	Molly McCully; mccully_molly@lilly.com; 317-478-5423 (Media)
	Dani Barnhizer; dbarnhizer@lilly.com; 317-607-6119 (Media)
	Kevin Hern; hern_kevin_r@lilly.com; 317-277-1838 (Investors)

 

 

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SOURCE Eli Lilly and Company

FAQ

What is the recent purchase agreement for LLY regarding COVID-19 treatments?

The U.S. government has agreed to purchase 100,000 doses of bamlanivimab and etesevimab from Eli Lilly for $210 million.

How does the NIH view bamlanivimab and etesevimab treatments?

The NIH updated its guidelines to recommend bamlanivimab plus etesevimab for treating high-risk COVID-19 patients.

What is the potential revenue impact for LLY with this government agreement?

The initial agreement is valued at $210 million, with an option for additional purchases, potentially totaling 1,200,000 doses.

What are the safety concerns associated with LLY's COVID-19 treatments?

Bamlanivimab and etesevimab have not been FDA approved, and serious hypersensitivity reactions have been reported.