HHS will begin distributing Eli Lilly's COVID-19 antibody drug this week, though initial supplies will be limited, The Hill reported.
The drug, bamlanivimab, is administered intravenously, a process that takes more than an hour and requires another hour of observation after.
Janet Woodcock, MD, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, told The Hill public health officials don't want COVID-19 patients in the same room as cancer patients at traditional infusion centers, so it may be challenging to figure out how to administer the drug.
"There are probably going to be multiple different solutions, depending on the setting, [such as] community health centers, home IV, health infusion companies, nursing homes," she said.
HHS will distribute the drug to health centers the same way remdesivir was distributed. Distribution will depend on a states' number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients and number of overall cases.
Eli Lilly received emergency use authorization for the drug Nov. 9. It's authorized for use in COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate cases, not for hospitalized patients.
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