Holy Cross Health announced today it has begun recruiting and treating patients in a clinical research study to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of LY-CoV555 in patients with early mild to moderate COVID-19. Sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly), the BLAZE-1 Study is looking for adults ages 18 or 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 to recover from COVID-19, which may help newly diagnosed patients clear the SARS-CoV-2 virus faster. 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.
“Clinical trials like BLAZE-1 are vital in testing potential treatments for COVID-19 which, if successful, represent medicines which can be used to protect those most at risk of severe illness, such as the elderly and immunocompromised,” said study Principal Investigator Joshua Purow, MD, Holy Cross Research Institutes. “Holy Cross Health has been on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19, and we are honored to participate in this important, landmark study with Lilly to potentially bring effective COVID-19 treatment to the public faster.”
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, the research staff at Holy Cross Health 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 (IV) infusion. Participants will be randomly selected to receive the placebo or the study drug.
“Kicking off the BLAZE-1 Study with research sites around the country, including Holy Cross Health, is a huge milestone for the global fight against COVID-19, and we’re excited to bring the industry one step closer to a potential treatment,” said Dr. Daniel Skovronsky, chief scientific officer, Eli Lilly and Company. “We look forward to working with eligible patients who are not only interested in receiving investigational treatments for COVID-19, but who also understand how their participation can impact the health and well-being of millions of people around the world.”
If someone has tested positive and exhibited symptoms for COVID-19, and are interested in participating in clinical research in their area, call 833.277.0197 or visit JoinCOVIDStudy.com to learn more.
About Holy Cross Health
A member of Trinity Health, Fort Lauderdale-based Holy Cross Hospital, dba Holy Cross Health, is a full-service, non-profit, Catholic, teaching hospital operating in the spirit of the Sisters of Mercy. Holy Cross has been named one of the top five hospitals in the Miami metro area and among the top 20 in the state in U.S. News and World Report's 2019-2020 Best Hospital rankings. Through strategic collaborations and a commitment to being a person-centered, transforming, healing presence, the 557-bed hospital offers progressive inpatient, outpatient and community outreach services and clinical research trials to serve as our community’s trusted health partner for life. Holy Cross Health also encompasses Holy Cross HealthPlex outpatient facility, urgent care centers and more than 50 Holy Cross Medical Group physician practices. To learn more about Holy Cross Health, visit holy-cross.com. Connect @holycrossfl.
