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Frequently Asked Questions

When there’s a virus in your body, like COVID-19, your immune system makes antibodies to fight it off. But it takes time for your body to make antibodies for a new virus — and in the meantime, you could get very sick.

Bamlanivimab is a neutralizing antibody drug. That means it contains man-made antibodies that are similar to the antibodies of patients who recovered from COVID-19. Scientists think that these antibodies may help limit the amount of COVID-19 virus in your body. This could give your body more time to learn how to make its own antibodies.

Scientists aren’t sure yet. They’re still studying bamlanivimab in clinical trials, and there’s a lot they don’t know about the benefits and risks.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the FDA has given a temporary Emergency Use Authorization for doctors to use bamlanivimab with certain patients. This means that based on the results of the research so far, the FDA has found that the drug may have more benefits than risks in treating COVID-19 during the pandemic.

Everyone is different, so there’s no way to know for sure. In clinical trials, people who took bamlanivimab started to see their symptoms improve after about 6 days, on average, compared to 8 days for people who took an infusion with no medicine in it.

Even after the treatment, you could still pass COVID-19 to other people. It’s important to stay away from other people for as long as your doctor tells you to.

No. Vaccines help your body make its own antibodies over time. Antibody drugs give you antibodies that may start working more quickly to help your body fight a virus.

Bamlanivimab is not a vaccine. It does not have any COVID-19 virus in it.

It is possible that bamlanivimab could interfere with your body's own ability to fight off a future infection of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.1

Similarly, bamlanivimab may reduce your body’s immune response to a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2. These possible effects, however, have not been specifically studied.1

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, if a person gets a COVID-19 infection after getting the COVID-19 vaccine, this should not affect COVID-19 treatment decisions or the timing of such treatments.2

Talk to your healthcare provider if you have any questions. They may advise you on the timing of antibody treatments and vaccines for COVID-19.

Bamlanivimab is among the first drugs given Emergency Use Authorization to treat people with COVID-19 who are newly diagnosed and have mild to moderate symptoms.

Your doctor may also recommend over-the-counter medicines — like pain relievers to help with fever and body aches, or cough medicine so coughing doesn’t keep you awake at night. These medicines can help you feel better, but they won’t help your body fight the virus or make you less likely to need to go to the hospital.

And scientists around the world are working hard to develop new treatments to help people get better — and to end the pandemic sooner.

You may be able to join a clinical trial for a COVID-19 treatment that doesn’t have Emergency Use Authorization yet, but participating doesn’t guarantee you’ll get the treatment. If you’re interested in joining a clinical trial, talk to your doctor.
It is important to first discuss with your doctor or healthcare provider whether bamlanivimab is an appropriate treatment option for you. If you have additional questions, please call the dedicated Lilly COVID Hotline at 1-855-545-5921. To find an infusion site near you, visit our Getting Started page.

Resources

These PDFs contain information for patients regarding bamlanivimab.

Patient COVID-19 Testing Education Guide

What to know if you have COVID-19

What to know about COVID-19 antibody treatments

External Resources

These hyperlinks will take the viewer to a website external to Lilly.com

combatCOVID (HHS)

Federal COVID Response Team

National Infusion Center Association (NICA)

World Health Organization (WHO)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Report an adverse event to MedWatch

References 1. U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Fact Sheet for Patients, Parents and Caregivers. Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of Bamlanivimab for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). 2021. 2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Interim clinical considerations for use of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines currently authorized in the United States. Updated January 21, 2021. Accessed January 23, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/info-by-product/clinical-considerations.html.

Bamlanivimab is an investigational medicine used to treat mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19 in non-hospitalized adults and adolescents (12 years of age or older who weigh at least 88 pounds [40 kg]), and who are at high risk for developing severe COVID-19 symptoms or the need for 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 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

Possible side effects of bamlanivimab are:

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 or high blood pressure, rapid or slow heart rate, chest discomfort or pain, weakness, confusion, feeling tired, wheezing, swelling of your lips, face, or throat, rash including hives, itching, muscle aches, dizziness, and sweating. These reactions may be severe or life threatening.

Worsening symptoms after bamlanivimab: You may experience new or worsening symptoms after infusion including fever, difficulty breathing, rapid or slow heart rate, tiredness, weakness, or confusion. If these occur, contact your healthcare provider or seek immediate medical attention as some of these events have required hospitalization. It is unknown if these events are related to bamlanivimab infusion or are due to the progression of COVID-19.

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-CoV-2. Similarly, bamlanivimab may reduce your body’s immune response to a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2. Specific studies have not been conducted to address 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/or 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.

BM CON ISI EUA 28JAN2021

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