Neutralizing monoclonal antibody
A neutralizing monoclonal antibody that’s authorized to treat COVID-19 outpatients did not improve outcomes in hospitalized patients, according to findings in the New England Journal of Medicine. Some 300 hospitalized patients without end-organ failure were randomized to receive a single infusion of placebo or LY-CoV555, also known as bamlanivimab, which has an emergency use authorization for mild-to-moderate COVID-19. All also received remdesivir, plus supplemental oxygen and glucocorticoids as needed. The trial was stopped early after an interim futility assessment found no significant difference between LY-CoV555 and placebo in terms of pulmonary function at day 5.