October 29, 2020

U.S. Government To Purchase Eli Lilly COVID-19 Antibody Drug Pending FDA Approval

Article origination IPBS-RJC
Eli Lilly's Corporate Headquarters in Indianapolis. The company has agreed to supply an initial 300,000 doses of its COVID-19 antibody drug to the U.S. government to be distributed across the country.  - Lauren Chapman/IPB News

Eli Lilly's Corporate Headquarters in Indianapolis. The company has agreed to supply an initial 300,000 doses of its COVID-19 antibody drug to the U.S. government to be distributed across the country.

Lauren Chapman/IPB News

The U.S. government has agreed to purchase 300,000 doses of Eli Lilly’s COVID-19 antibody treatment. It plans to pay $375 million for the vials of the drug.

An additional 650,000 doses could be purchased from the Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical company through June 2021.

Patients who receive the medication distributed by the U.S. government will not have any out-of-pocket costs for the drug, but may have to pay a fee for its administration.

Peer reviewed data published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed the drug may have “potential” in treating mild to moderate COVID-19 patients.

The Food and Drug Administration has yet to approve an emergency use authorization application from Lilly that was submitted earlier this month.

Lilly said it plans to produce up to 1 million doses by the end of the year.

Contact reporter Samantha at shorton@wfyi.org or follow her on Twitter at @SamHorton5.

Support independent journalism today. You rely on WFYI to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Donate to power our nonprofit reporting today. Give now.

 

Related News

Report: Indiana's total health costs near national average, but differ in other key areas
Indiana joins 19 states suing the federal government over nursing home staffing requirement
Hospitals in Indiana brace for IV fluid shortages after Hurricane Helene closes N.C. manufacturing plant