| The antibodies are on their way to treat Covid-19, and not a moment too soon. Eli Lilly & Co. asked U.S. regulators for emergency-use authorization of an antibody treatment it's developing with Canadian biotech AbCellera Biologics. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. is seeking authorization of its antibody therapy that President Donald Trump received last week. The antibodies are artificial versions of proteins the immune system naturally makes to fight off infection. They could provide a powerful addition to the handful of treatments such as the anti-inflammatory dexamethasone and Gilead Sciences' remdesivir that doctors now use against the coronavirus.  Vials of Gilead's Remdesivir. Photographer: ULRICH PERREY/AFP The therapies are seen as a bridge to a vaccine, potentially keeping people with early symptoms from developing severe cases that land them in the hospital. They're also being studied as short-term treatments that could rapidly be given to prevent illness in people such as nursing home residents or staff who may have been exposed during a local outbreak. Regeneron's therapy is a cocktail—a combination of antibodies hoped to intensify the drug's ability to fight the virus. While Lilly's applying for authorization of a single antibody, it's also developing a cocktail that will include a second protein. That's because Lilly already has amassed significant supplies of the single antibody, while it'll take longer to build a stockpile of the combination therapy. Lilly, which already has a manufacturing partnership with Amgen Inc., is looking for more collaborators to make its costly antibodies in anticipation of high demand. "We're rooting for Regeneron's success, as I am sure they are for ours," David Ricks, Lilly's chief executive officer, said on a call. "The main constraint is manufacturing capacity."—Riley Ray Griffin | 
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