The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized the use of Eli Lilly′s COVID-19 dual-antibody therapy for treatment of mild to moderate symptoms in children, including newborns, who have a risk of developing severe disease.

The treatment which includes bamlanivimab plus etesevimab was previously authorized for children aged 12 years and above, weighing at least 88 pounds. Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA′s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said that this authorization focuses on the medical needs of children below one year of age, who may have a particularly high risk for severe COVID-19 if exposed to the virus. The antibody therapy has also been authorized as a preventive measure in children exposed to the virus… (Reuters, December 4, 2021)