Emergence of Q493R mutation in SARS-CoV-2 spike protein during bamlanivimab/etesevimab treatment and resistance to viral clearance

Summary: The study showed that treatment with bamlanivimab and etesevimab was significantly associated with a reduction in SARS-CoV-2 viral load at day 11 in nonhospitalized patients with mild to moderate COVID-19, compared to placebo. However, bamlanivimab monotherapy did not show a significant reduction in viral load. Ongoing clinical trials will focus on assessing the clinical benefits of antispike neutralizing antibodies in COVID-19 patients.