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How will I take this drug?

You only need to take the drug 1 time. It’s usually given at a hospital, clinic, or infusion center, and the appointment takes about 3 to 4 hours.

The treatment is an intravenous (IV) infusion, meaning the drug goes directly into your blood over about 1 hour. A nurse will insert a small needle into a vein in your arm to give you the drug.

Does the infusion hurt?

With any infusion treatment, you may feel a pinch or sting when the needle first goes in, but the feeling often goes away after a few seconds. If you feel any pain during the infusion, tell the nurse right away.

After the infusion, some people may have pain, bleeding, bruising, soreness, or swelling in the place where the needle went in. In some cases, this may lead to more serious problems, like an infection.

If you’re not sure whether what you’re feeling after the infusion is normal, it’s always okay to call your doctor or the infusion center and check.

What are the side effects?

Side effects can range from mild to serious and may include:

  • Wheezing (noisy breathing that may sound like whistling) or trouble breathing
  • Swollen lips, face, or throat
  • Flu-like symptoms (fever, sweating, chills, cough, sore throat, headache, or muscle pain)
  • Upset stomach (nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea)
  • Itching, swelling, rash, or hives
  • Dizziness or low blood pressure
  • Changes in your heartbeat

Tell your doctor or nurse right away if you have any side effects during or after your infusion. Some of these side effects may be signs of a serious allergic reaction.

Keep in mind that only a limited number of people have taken bamlanivimab, and scientists are still learning about its side effects and risks. Serious and unexpected side effects may happen.

How can I get ready for my appointment?

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Plan for the infusion appointment to take about 3 to 4 hours. Most people are able to go home the same day, unless they have very serious side effects from the infusion.
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Before your appointment, make sure to get a good night’s sleep, drink plenty of water, and eat a light meal. Wear warm, comfortable clothes, including a shirt with sleeves you can roll up over your elbows. It’s also important to wear a mask to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
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Ask the clinic staff if there’s anything else you need to know. They may ask patients with COVID-19 to take some extra steps to help keep the virus from spreading. You may want to ask questions like:
  • What do I need to bring with me?
  • When I arrive, should I call instead of coming into the waiting room?
  • Will I need someone to give me a ride home after the infusion?
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To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, friends and family usually can’t be with you during the infusion. If you have any concerns about this, talk with the clinic staff before your appointment.

What is it like to get the infusion?

To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, the nurse and other clinic staff will wear masks, gloves, and face shields.

They may also limit the time they spend near you during the infusion — but they’re still there for you if you need them.

If you have any questions or concerns during the infusion process, don’t hesitate to ask the clinic staff. It’s their job to explain what’s happening and make sure you feel comfortable.

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Starting the infusion

When you get to the hospital, clinic, or infusion center, a nurse will show you to a chair where you can sit comfortably during the infusion process. The nurse will clean your arm with a special liquid that kills germs. Then they’ll insert a small needle into a vein and start the flow of medicine.

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During the infusion

Once the infusion has started, it takes about 1 hour. From time to time, a nurse will come to check on you and measure your temperature, breathing, and heart rate.

When the infusion is over, you’ll need to stay for a couple of hours so the nurse can keep checking on you to make sure you’re feeling okay.

What happens after my appointment?

In the days and weeks after your infusion, your doctor or the clinic staff will keep checking with you to see how you feel and which COVID-19 symptoms you have.

They may also ask you to come in again to do another COVID-19 test or to take samples of blood from your arm.

Warning
If you have any new symptoms or side effects, tell your doctor right away. You can also report side effects to FDA MedWatch at www.fda.gov/medwatch or by calling 1-800-FDA-1088.

Find an infusion site near you

Some states are partnering with the National Infusion Center Association (NICA) to make it easier to identify infusion site locations by state. Click “Go” to be redirected to the COVID infusion therapy search tool, hosted by NICA.* Please note that not all states are included and a site’s inclusion in this tool does not imply current availability of doses. If your state is not included, ask your healthcare provider to call the Lilly COVID Hotline at 1-855-545-5921 to find an infusion site near you.

Go Right

*IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Infusion sites displayed in this tool have been authorized to administer antibody treatments for COVID-positive patients under Emergency Use Authorization. These antibody therapies are restricted to certain high-risk patients and require a drug order (similar to a prescription) from a Health Care Provider (HCP) for eligible patients. HCPs must verify eligibility of their patients and verify the availability of doses at an authorized infusion site before they refer an eligible patient to schedule an appointment to receive treatment at an authorized infusion site.

Bamlanivimab is investigational, which means it’s still being studied. Bamlanivimab has not been approved, but has been authorized for emergency use by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 in adults and pediatric patients (12 years of age and older weighing at least 40 kg or about 88 pounds) with positive results of direct SARS-CoV-2 viral testing, and who are at high risk for progressing to severe COVID-19 and/or hospitalization.

  • Bamlanivimab has not been approved, but has been authorized for emergency use by FDA
  • Bamlanivimab is authorized only for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of the emergency use of the bamlanivimab under Section 564(b)(1) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360bbb-3(b)(1), unless the authorization is terminated or revoked sooner.

Warnings

Allergic reactions. Allergic reactions can happen during and after infusion with bamlanivimab. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following signs and symptoms of allergic reactions:

  • fever, chills, nausea, headache, shortness of breath, low blood pressure, wheezing, swelling of your lips, face, or throat, rash including hives, itching, muscle aches, and dizziness.

The side effects of getting any medicine by vein may include brief pain, bleeding, bruising of the skin, soreness, swelling, and possible infection at the infusion site.

These are not all the possible side effects of bamlanivimab. Not a lot of people have been given bamlanivimab. Serious and unexpected side effects may happen. Bamlanivimab is still being studied so it is possible that all of the risks are not known at this time

It is possible that bamlanivimab could interfere with your body's own ability to fight off a future infection of SARS-CoV2. Similarly, bamlanivimab may reduce your body’s immune response to a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2. Specific studies have not been conducted to address this these possible risks. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have any questions.

Tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

  • Have any allergies
  • Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant
  • Are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed
  • Have any serious illnesses
  • Are taking any medications (prescription, over-the-counter, vitamins, and herbal products)

What if I am pregnant or breastfeeding?

There is limited experience treating pregnant women or breastfeeding mothers with bamlanivimab. For a mother and unborn baby, the benefit of receiving bamlanivimab may be greater than the risk from the treatment. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, discuss your options and specific situation with your healthcare provider.

Read the Fact Sheet for Patients, Parents and Caregivers for more information about bamlanivimab.

BAM CON ISI 09NOV2020

Fact Sheet for Patients, Parents and Caregivers (English)
Fact Sheet for Patients, Parents and Caregivers (Spanish)
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