All of the trials compare the experimental drugs to a placebo, or sham treatment. “That doesn’t happen when you’re setting up diabetes trials or cancer trials,” he said. In both of the outpatient trials run by Eli Lilly and Regeneron, doctors must compete with a ticking clock. According to the rules of the Regeneron trial, a patient must be treated with the antibodies within seven days of the onset of symptoms. Both the Regeneron and Eli Lilly trials require giving the drug within three days of taking a positive test.

Source: New York Times August 14, 2020 15:06 UTC