Staff Reports
INDIANAPOLIS — Franciscan Health Indianapolis is recruiting and treating patients in a clinical research study to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of an antibody treatment drug, LY-CoV555, in patients with early mild to moderate COVID-19 illness caused by a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2.
Sponsored by Eli Lilly and Co., the BLAZE-1 Study is looking for adults ages 18 and older who have recently tested positive for COVID-19 and are not hospitalized.
LY-CoV555 is an antibody therapy engineered from one of the first individuals in the U.S. to recover from COVID-19 and is specifically designed to attack SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Laboratory studies have shown that LY-CoV555 binds with high affinity to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and neutralizes its ability to infect cells and replicate.
“Franciscan Health Indianapolis has treated hundreds of patients with COVID-19 and provided testing for more than 11,000 residents,” said Imad Shawa, MD, pulmonary critical care specialist and principal investigator for the Franciscan’s study site. “We’re pleased to be chosen by Lilly to participate in this important research for a treatment that may help curb the spread of the coronavirus.”
Franciscan Health Hammond has also been designated as a research site for the BLAZE-1 study and will soon being recruiting patients as well.
To be eligible for the BLAZE-1 Study, participants must have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection within three days prior to the study drug infusion and have one or more mild or moderate COVID-19 symptoms, including, fever, cough, sore throat, headache, muscle pain, nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, or shortness of breath when active.
If a person is eligible and decides to participate, Franciscan Health’s research staff will perform specific tests and procedures to monitor the patient’s health and how their body reacts to the LY-CoV555 antibody treatment. These tests and procedures include physical exams, vital sign measurements, blood samples and nasopharyngeal swabs to measure levels of virus.
The study drug is being compared to a placebo, and both the study drug and the placebo will be administered as a single-dose intravenous infusion. Participants will be randomly selected to receive the placebo or the study drug.
Franciscan Health Indianapolis and Hammond are two of 24 hospitals across the country chosen to be research sites, and two of three in Indiana.
If you have tested positive and exhibited symptoms for COVID-19 and wish to participate in this study, call (833) 277-0197 or visit JoinCOVIDStudy.com to learn more.
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If you have tested positive and exhibited symptoms for COVID-19 and wish to participate in this study, call (833) 277-0197 or visit JoinCOVIDStudy.com to learn more.
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