First human trials of COVID-19 antibody therapy underway in three major cities

WASHINGTON — The first human trial of an antibody therapy to treat COVID-19 is now underway in three major cities.

Eli Lilly and Company announced Monday, that patients hospitalized in Atlanta, New York and Los Angeles are now receiving the antibody therapy.

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In a tweet, the company said, "Lilly scientists delivered the first doses of our potential COVID-19 antibody treatment, flown to hospitals in several U.S. cities to start the world’s first human study of this kind of therapy to fight COVID infections. "

The company's chief scientific officer said as soon as the pandemic started, his team went to work to create a new medicine for the disease.

The medicine was the result of a blood sample from one of the first U.S. patients who recovered from COVID-19.

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Researchers then sorted through millions of that patient's cells to find hundreds of antibodies.

The trial's first phase will test whether the therapy is safe and well-tolerated, with results expected later this month.

If the trial proves to be effective against COVID-19, the treatment could be available by fall.

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