Eli Lilly Covid-19 antibody treatment trial paused due to 'potential safety concern'
Eli Lilly and Company
$732.25
10:35 24/04/24
A clinical trial for Eli Lilly's antibody treatment for Covid-19 was paused overnight due to a "potential safety concern".
On Tuesday evening, the drug giant confirmed that the trial involving hundreds of hospitalised patients had been put on hold after one of the volunteers became ill.
No details around the exact safety issues were provided.
All of the participants in the trial were also receiving Remdesivir, the experimental treatment manufactured by Gilead Sciences.
US government officials reportedly sent e-mails to scientists asking them to stop enrolling patients in the trial out of an "abundance of caution".
It is not uncommon for clinical trials to be paused and later restarted, while independent examiners ascertain whether or not the drug in question triggered the illness.
As of 1324 BST, shares of Eli Lilly were down 0.49% to $149.35.