Pharmacy company Amber Specialty Pharmacy announced on Friday that it commenced administering the doses of new US FDA-approved infusion antibody treatment bamlanivimab (BAM) to long-term care facilities in Des Moines, Chicago, Buffalo, Phoenix and Dallas across the US to combat COVID-19 under a partnership with the US Department of Health and Human Services and the National Home Infusion Association.

The company added the purpose of the pilot programme is to expand access to a safe and effective treatment to the most vulnerable population across the country. The BAM pilot programme requires providers to be accredited and licensed to perform home infusions.

Bamlanivimab is a monoclonal antibody developed by Eli Lilly and received emergency FDA approval in November 2020. The infusion therapy is a tiered approach designed for high-risk patients who have the potential to develop severe complications from COVID-19.

While certain therapies and antiviral drugs used in hospitals inhibits the replication of the virus and shorten the course of the infection, BAM reportedly boosts the patient's own immune response to help fight the infection and prevent complications that would result in hospitalization, concluded the company.