SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody LY-CoV555 in outpatients with COVID-19

Researchers working on the BLAZE-1 study, which is evaluating the ability of a neutralizing antibody to treat mild or moderate COVID-19, report interim results from the ongoing Phase II trial. As of September 5, 2020, 452 participants had been randomly allocated to receive either placebo or 700 mg, 2,800 mg, or 7,000 mg of the neutralizing antibody LY-CoV555. The main endpoint was the change in viral load from baseline to day 11, which was -3.81 for the entire study sample overall—reflecting elimination of more than 99.97% of viral RNA. The cohort with the greatest reduction in viral load received a single I.V. infusion of 2,800 mg of LY-CoV555. The difference was -0.53, compared with -0.20 in the lowest-dose group and -0.09 in the highest-dose group. The results suggest that only the 2,800-mg dose accelerates the natural decline in load over time, say investigators. Interim results also indicate that LY-CoV555 recipients exhibited slightly lower severity of symptoms on days 2–6 compared with placebo recipients and that only 1.6% of the antibody group, vs. 6.3% of the control group, visited the emergency department or were admitted to the hospital for COVID-19 related care.