Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly has paused late-stage clinical trials for its coronavirus antibody treatment due to safety issues.
“Safety is of the utmost importance to Lilly,” Eli Lilly spokesperson Molly McCully said in a written statement to the Washington Examiner. “We are aware that, out of an abundance of caution, the ACTIV-3 independent data safety monitoring board (DSMB) has recommended a pause in enrollment.”
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The company announced it would pause enrollment in its government-funded ACTIV-3 trial clinical trial because of a “potential safety concern,” according to emails that government officials sent on Tuesday to researchers at testing sites and reported by the New York Times.
The trial is designed to test the antibody developed by Eli Lilly in combination with the anti-viral drug remdesivir, which President Trump received while hospitalized last week with COVID-19.
“Lilly is supportive of the decision by the independent DSMB to cautiously ensure the safety of the patients participating in this study,” McCully added.
The company has not offered additional information about the safety concerns and how many volunteers have been affected.
