US buys 600K doses of new COVID antibody awaiting clearance

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration says it has purchased enough doses of a yet-to-be approved antibody drug to treat 600,000 patients with COVID-19. The medicine from pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly will be shipped out to states free of charge if the Food and Drug Administration approves the company’s request for emergency use authorization, said Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. A new antibody drug would offer relief as treatment options have diminished in the omicron wave. The two leading antibody treatments previously used in the U.S. turned out to be ineffective against omicron.