The Government of Canada has signed an agreement with Eli Lilly for an initial order of up to 26,000 doses of the COVID-19 monoclonal antibody therapy Bamlanivimab.
Under the agreement, deliveries of Bamlanivimab will begin in December and be completed in February 2021.
According to a government statement, in March 2021 Canada will have the option to purchase additional allocations, based on the current medical need in Canada and the global product availability.
Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health, explained in a joint statement that monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made proteins that mimic the immune system’s ability to fight off viruses.
“Bamlanivimab (LY-CoV555) is a monoclonal antibody designed to block the virus from attaching to and entering human cells, thus potentially preventing the virus from causing COVID-19 illness.”
Eli Lilly co-developed this therapy with AbCellera Biologics, a Vancouver-based technology company that searches, decodes and analyzes natural immune systems to find antibodies that can be developed to prevent and treat disease.
This is the first authorization for a treatment for COVID-19 under the Interim Order, a temporary mechanism used to expedite approval of drugs and vaccines for COVID-19 without compromising safety and efficacy.
Data that showed that Bamlanivimab reduced COVID-19-related hospitalization or emergency room visits in patients at high risk for disease progression.
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