The initial agreement is for delivery over the first two months following an emergency authorisation
Lilly said the government-sponsored clinical trial of its Covid-19 antibody treatment, which is similar to one taken by U.S. President Donald Trump, had been paused over safety concerns.
Regulators and drugmakers have faced questions about whether political pressure was overwhelming scientific rigor ahead of the presidential election on Nov. 3
Trump touted the Lilly drug, along with the antibody treatment from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc that he received for his Covid-19, as tantamount to a cure in a video he posted last week
The first-of-its-kind study is expected to enrol up to 2,400 participants who live or work at facilities that have had a recently diagnosed case of COVID-19
Lilly said it currently does not anticipate shortages for any of its medicines, including baricitinib
The cash deal comes on the heels of Bristol-Myers Squibb Co's agreement last week to buy Celgene Corp for $74 billion in the largest pharmaceutical deal ever
Eli plans to bring some of its molecules from the global pipeline to India, especially in the oncology and diabetes space