Health Canada granted authorization under the Interim Order Respecting the Importation, Sale and Advertising of Drugs for Use in Relation to COVID-19 for the use of bamlanivimab (LY-CoV555) as a treatment for adults and pediatric patients 12 years of age or older with mild to moderate COVID-19 who weigh at least 40 kg and are at high risk of progressing to severe COVID-19 illness and/or hospitalization, Eli Lilly and Company announced. This authorization, the second authorization around the world for bamlanivimab, is based on data from BLAZE-1, a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled phase 2 study in patients with recently diagnosed, mild to moderate COVID-19.
“This authorization in Canada furthers our goal of making bamlanivimab available to patients who need it around the world and is evidence of the strong collaboration between industry and governments to get COVID-19 medicines to people as quickly as possible,” said David A. Ricks, Lilly’s chairman and CEO. “We are proud that this treatment, which was developed in partnership with the Canadian biotech company AbCellera, will soon be available to help people in Canada combat this pandemic.”
In BLAZE-1, patients treated with bamlanivimab showed reduced viral load and rates of symptoms and hospitalization. In BLAZE-1, frequency and types of adverse events were similar between bamlanivimab and placebo, with the majority being mild to moderate in severity. Infusion reactions and other allergic hypersensitivity events have been reported.
“As a Canadian company, we are proud to contribute to the global fight against COVID-19 and hope our efforts will help people in Canada and around the world in the face of this medical emergency,” said Carl Hansen, Ph. D., CEO of AbCellera. “We applaud Lilly for bringing bamlanivimab to patients at record speed and its commitment to ensure treatment access for patients with high unmet needs, no matter where they live.”
Global manufacturing, supply and regulatory updates
Lilly has a robust, global supply chain in place and began large-scale manufacturing of bamlanivimab at risk earlier this year. Lilly anticipates manufacturing up to one million doses of bamlanivimab 700 mg by the end of 2020, for use around the world through early next year.
On November 9th, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for bamlanivimab 700 mg. In the U.S., bamlanivimab is authorized for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in adults and pediatric patients 12 years and older who weigh at least 40 kg with a positive COVID-19 test, who are at high risk for progressing to severe COVID-19 and/or hospitalization.
Lilly is in discussions with global regulators to make bamlanivimab available around the world. The company is focused on areas with the highest disease burden and pursuing authorization in countries such as India, Brazil, Russia and across Europe. Global allocation will be made based on Lilly’s guiding principles that aim to ensure access for patients with high unmet need, no matter where they live.
U.S. Authorized Use and Important Safety Information
Bamlanivimab is authorized for use under an EUA for treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in adults and pediatric patients with positive results of direct SARS-CoV-2 viral testing who are 12 years and older weighing at least 40 kg, and who are at high risk for progressing to severe COVID-19 and/or hospitalization.
About Eli Lilly and Company 
Lilly is a global healthcare leader that unites caring with discovery to create medicines that make life better for people around the world. We were founded more than a century ago by a man committed to creating high-quality medicines that meet real needs, and today we remain true to that mission in all our work. Across the globe, Lilly employees work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to communities through philanthropy and volunteerism.
