Safety concerns prompted two big US pharmaceutical companies to halt trials of experimental Covid-19 drugs, dealing a blow to hopes for a medical intervention to stop the pandemic.
Eli Lilly said on Tuesday it was halting enrolment for its antibody treatment, similar to one taken by US President Donald Trump this month. Johnson & Johnson said it was pausing all trials of its experimental Covid-19 vaccine after one participant developed an “adverse reaction”.
J&J said it was not immediately clear what caused the reaction in the participant, or whether it was linked to the vaccine. Neither company would give further details of what the safety concerns were.