Eli Lilly and Company has partnered with local health systems to launch dedicated infusion center locations serving central, northern, and now southern Indiana that are intended to provide Hoosiers with access to important COVID-19 treatments. Multiple neutralizing antibody therapies, administered via intravenous infusion, have been granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in high-risk patients.
“Throughout the implementation of our COVID-19 antibody clinical development program, we have identified multiple approaches to address many of the challenges this virus has presented, including complexities experienced with intravenous administration during the pandemic,” said Rob Metcalf, senior vice president, Clinical Development, Lilly. “We are pleased to share our insights with the goal of enabling health systems to quickly provide access to the COVID-19 antibody therapies needed to fight this devastating virus in high-risk symptomatic patients.”
The opening of these infusion centers provides additional dedicated locations in which people can receive COVID-19 infusion treatments. Last week Ascension St. Vincent Evansville opened a dedicated infusion center to serve Hoosiers in southern Indiana who are high-risk COVID-19 patients. Lilly has also partnered with the State of Indiana, Community Health Network, Eskenazi Health, and Franciscan Health on an infusion center serving the Central Indiana area and with Saint Joseph Health System, Beacon Health System, and Goshen Health System on an infusion center serving Northern Indiana. These infusion centers have helped deliver antibody therapy to more than 1,700 Hoosiers with COVID-19 who are high risk.
“We’re thankful for the opportunity to collaborate with our health system partners and Lilly to serve these high-risk COVID-19 patients. This partnership has allowed us to bring COVID-19 treatments to high-risk Hoosiers quickly and efficiently,” said Robin Ledyard, MD, chief medical officer of Community Health Network. “It’s important to provide this essential option for these patients as we work together to battle this devastating disease.”
The establishment of these infusion centers has provided needed treatment options and it has offered an opportunity to find creative solutions to eliminating treatment barriers. Lilly is undertaking efforts to share insights with governments, health systems and other important stakeholders from these infusion centers to help other locations successfully open to serve high-risk COVID-19 patients.