Lilly COVID-19 antibody trial put on hold due to safety concerns
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Lilly’s COVID-19 ACTIV-3 clinical trial has been put on pause. According to government documents obtained by the New York Times, officials are temporarily suspending the trial because of “potential safety concerns.”
Eli Lilly and Co.’s trial is the third clinical trial to be put on hold. On Monday, Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine study was halted because of a sick volunteer. Back in September, AstraZeneca’s vaccine trial was also put on hold after two participants became ill after being injected with the biopharmaceutical company’s vaccine candidate.
Lilly’s trial is designed to test monoclonal antibody, LY-CoV016, in combination with Gilead’s antiviral drug Remdesivir, which received emergency use authorization by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) back in May.
“Safety is of (utmost) importance to Lilly,” Molly McCully, spokeswoman for Eli Lilly, said in an email to The New York Times. “Lilly is supportive of the decision by the independent D.S.M.B. (Data and Safety Monitoring Board) to cautiously ensure the safety of patients participating in the study.”
News 8’s medical reporter, Dr. Mary Elizabeth Gillis, D.Ed., is a classically trained medical physiologist and biobehavioral research scientist. She has been a health, medical and science reporter for over 5 years. Her work has been featured in national media outlets. You can follow her on Instagram @reportergillis and Facebook @DrMaryGillis.