November 24, 2020

(Sullivan, IN): November 24, 2020:  Sullivan County Community Hospital is one of 44 Indiana sites to receive Eli Lilly’s COVID-19 monoclonal antibody therapy, Bamlanivimab.  Bamlanivimab is a lab-created antibody treatment made of proteins that mimic the human immune system. It is injected into early COVID-infected patients to speed up their natural response. The drug was made in Indianapolis and is the first of its kind.

SCCH received its first shipment of Bamlanivimab November 13, 2020. So far, 9 patients have taken the infusion therapy, and CEO Michelle Franklin says most have felt better within 24 to 48 hours. “We are very pleased to be one of the hospitals that received doses of the drug,” said Franklin. “Sullivan County has seen a surge in positive cases. We want to make sure we try and get the treatment to them as fast as possible to minimize their long-term consequences or minimize their need for admission into the hospital.”

Earlier this month the FDA gave emergency use authorization for the treatment. The U.S. government has purchased 300,000 doses to go to high-risk patients. The antibody treatment is for mild to moderate COVID-19 cases in adults and patients 12 years or older. The drug is specifically made for the spike proteins of COVID-19 and designed to block the way they attach to cells. It is beneficial for high-risk people in the early stages of infection, not for patients already in the hospital or who need oxygen.

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If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Leslie Lentz at 812-240-1569, or email at leslie.lentz@schosp2.aimsrvr2.com.