Lilly India gets nod for use of monoclonal antibody drugs for treating Covid-19

Eli Lilly and Company India said on Tuesday it has received permission for restricted emergency use of its antibody drugs bamlanivimab 700 mg and etesevimab 1,400 mg in India for treatment of patients with mild to moderate coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

Both drugs together are indicated for restricted use in emergency situation, IV route for the treatment of mild to moderate Covid-19 for injection administration in hospital settings in adults and pediatric patients.

Lilly said it is engaging in active dialogue with the Indian government and regulatory authorities to donate bamlanivimab and etesevimab in order to speed up access and provide treatment options for patients with Covid-19.

The drugs together have been authorised under emergency use authorisation in the United States and select European Union countries for treatment of mild to moderate Covid-19.

Luca Visini, Managing Director for Lily's India subcontinent operations, said the company has another innovative treatment option to offer India's healthcare providers who continue to be at the forefront of the battle against Covid-19.

"Lilly is committed to contributing to the alleviation of Covid-19 pandemic in India and around the world. We will continue to assess and evaluate how our existing portfolio and ongoing research can benefit patients with Covid-19," he said in a statement.

Earlier in May, the company had also received permission for emergency use of baricitinib in combination with remdesivir for the treatment of suspected or laboratory confirmed Covid-19 in hospitalised adults requiring supplemental oxygen, invasive mechanical ventilation, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).

Since then, Lilly has already made available a donation of more than 6.5 lakh tablets of baricitinib to the Indian government and issued eight voluntary licenses to Indian pharmaceutical manufacturers of generic medicines to accelerate and expand its availability.

( With inputs from ANI )

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