Antibody combo gets emergency authorization

Eli Lilly’s combination antibody drug for COVID-19 was cleared for emergency use by U.S. regulators, providing doctors with a treatment option that is expected to be better able to combat new coronavirus mutations.

The Food and Drug Administration authorized the treatment for use in COVID-positive adults and children 12 and older who are at high risk of developing severe forms of the disease or progressing to the hospital, according to a fact sheet posted Tuesday by the agency.

The combo treatment is the second antibody therapy from the Indianapolis-based drugmaker to gain an emergency authorization from the FDA. In November, the agency cleared bamlanivimab, one of the two antibodies used in the cocktail, for use in nonhospitalized, high-risk patients with mild-tomoderate symptoms of covid-19.

Lilly’s shares rose 0.6% to $202.87 at 9:57 a.m. in New York on Wednesday.