The first human trial of experimental antibody COVID-19 treatment launched

Eli Lilly has launched the first human trial of experimental antibody COVID-19 treatment, The Daily Mail reported.

According to it, specialists intend to evaluate the safety and tolerability of the drug in COVID-19 patients. The first results are expected by the end of June.

Experimental treatment - LY-CoV555 - is an antibody directed against viral protein structures of a spike shape. Antibodies, joining the virus, do not allow it to attach to human cells.

The antibody was isolated from a blood sample taken from one of the first COVID-19 patients in the US. In lab studies, the antibody showed the ability to bind to spikes on the surface of the coronavirus.

However, scientists fear that the use of such antibodies may lead to the development of an antibody-dependent increase in infection - when the virus binds to antibodies, which increases its penetration into human cells.