Distribution of Eli Lilly COVID-19 therapy paused in 8 states over variant concerns

Federal health authorities have paused distribution of Eli Lilly's monoclonal antibody cocktail in eight states over COVID-19 variant efficacy concerns.

Federal health authorities have paused distribution of Eli Lilly's monoclonal antibody cocktail in eight states over COVID-19 variant efficacy concerns. The COVID-19 treatment will halt distribution in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Oregon and Washington "until further notice" due to variants' elevation in those states, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response announced in a bulletin this week. The "combined frequency" of the P.1 variant (first identified in Brazil) and the B.1.351 variant (first identified in South Africa) now exceeds 10% in Arizona, California, Florida, Indiana, Oregon and Washington; in Illinois and Massachusetts, the P.1 variant has been "persistently elevated at a frequency exceeding 10%," the announcement said. The stoppage is not related to the safety of the cocktail -- in which the drugs bamlanivimab and etesevimab are administered together -- but rather concerns that it is not as effective against these variant strains. The pause will not impact distribution in other parts of the country, according to the bulletin.