Drug which could be used instead of vaccine

Eli Lilly and Co could have a drug specifically designed to treat Covid-19 authorized for use as early as September if all goes well with either of two antibody therapies it is testing, its chief scientist told Reuters on Wednesday.

Lilly is also doing preclinical studies of a third antibody treatment for the illness caused by the new coronavirus that could enter human clinical trials in the coming weeks, Chief Scientific Officer Daniel Skovronsky said in an interview.

Lilly has already launched human trials with two of the experimental therapies.

The drugs belong to a class of biotech medicines called monoclonal antibodies widely used to treat cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and many other conditions. A monoclonal antibody drug developed against COVID-19 is likely to be more effective than repurposed medicines currently being tested against the virus.

Skovronsky said the therapies - which may also be used to prevent the disease - could beat a vaccine to widespread use as a Covid-19 treatment, if they prove effective.

The drug works by blocking part of the virus’ so-called spike protein that it uses to enter human cells and replicate.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/coronavirus-pandemic-live-updates-uk-22154643

These days the FDA in the US has been allowing drug and clinical diagnostic companies to use accelerated approval processes to get tests and now drugs and vacines approved. We’ve already seen one of the rapid tests be found to be 50 percent unreliable in the field!

It’s as if they essentially conduct their final phase 3 trials out in the marketplace!