Eli Lilly working with Chinese company to find coronavirus treatment

Eli Lilly and Co. will partner with a Chinese company to explore new antibody therapies that could be used to treat and prevent the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

The Indianapolis-based company announced Monday that it would partner with Junshi Biosciences, a company based in Shanghai that focuses on developing and bringing to market new therapies. In March the company signed an agreement with the Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to work on finding antibodies that can prevent the virus from entering cells.

Since that time, Junshi scientists have developed a number of potential antibodies and are now poised to start testing in the second quarter of this year. Lilly officials said in a news release the company is hoping to start clinical studies in the United States at the same time.

“Since the outbreak of COVID-19, we have been working diligently to join the fight against the pandemic,” said Dr. Ning Li, Junshi Biosciences’ chief executive officer in a news release. “(B)y leveraging Lilly’s global presence and capabilities, we have the potential to reach broader COVID-19 patient populations in a wider range of countries and regions.”

Read more: https://www.southbendtribune.com/coronavirus/eli-lilly-working-with-chinese-company-to-find-coronavirus-treatment/article_5a7775b0-8e29-11ea-aef2-e3a058e7bbd4.html