Eli Lilly and Co. and UnitedHealth Group entered a partnership to study bamlanivimab (LY-CoV555) in high-risk, COVID-19 infected individuals.

Bamlanivimab recently received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the U.S. FDA for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 patients who are at high risk for progressing to severe COVID-19 and/or hospitalization. The trial will evaluate the efficacy and safety of bamlanivimab versus a propensity-matched control in individuals that meet the EUA criteria.

The study will identify and treat a large, diverse population of high-risk individuals for COVID-19 with bamlanivimab under real-world conditions with a goal of reducing the severity of illness and hospitalizations. It will draw on both UnitedHealth Group's UnitedHealthcare health benefits business as well as its Optum health services business to detect and treat high-risk symptomatic patients who test positive for COVID-19, including daily symptom tracking, in-home SARS-CoV-2 testing and in-home infusion services.

Delivering bamlanivimab to patients through home infusions allows them to stay quarantined and at home, minimizing the potential spread of COVID-19.

The study will enroll as many as 500,000 people, with at least 5,000 people expected to receive bamlanivimab therapy.

This study is part of a collaborative partnership between OptumLabs, the scientific research arm of UnitedHealth Group, and Lilly to advance cutting-edge science, research, and solutions that will accelerate the progression of validated therapies into real world applications.