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The federal government has agreed to buy 100,000 doses of a recently authorized Covid-19 treatment from Eli Lilly, increasing the supply of such drugs for patients who are high risk of becoming seriously ill but are not yet hospitalized. Under the deal, announced on Friday, the government will pay $210 million and Eli Lilly will ship out the doses by the end of March. The government has the option to buy 1.1 million more doses of the treatment through November, but how many of those doses ultimately get ordered will depend in part on the course of the pandemic in the United States. (Robbins, 2/26)

As U.S. officials look to ramp up COVID-19 vaccinations heading into March, they’re not overlooking another pandemic-fighting tool. Eli Lilly on Friday scored a government supply deal for its newly authorized antibody cocktail, which dramatically reduced deaths and hospitalizations in a late-stage trial. Lilly agreed to sell the U.S. government 100,000 doses of the bamlanivimab-etesevimab combination for $210 million. The doses will be delivered before the end of March, and the government has the option to purchase 1.1 million more doses through Nov. 25 depending on demand. (Sagonowsky, 2/25)

The tricky part of finding a drug that works early in the infection cycle has been finding enough people with fresh COVID-19 diagnoses — long before there’s a need for hospitalization — to participate in well-designed studies of drugs that might forestall the virus’s progression. “Our study mantra is, ‘Rise above COVID,’ ” said Judith S. Currier, chief of UCLA’s Division of Infectious Diseases in the Department of Medicine. “We encourage people to think about how they can help advance science — it’s something they can do.” Those who have very recently been diagnosed can find a study to participate in at www.riseabovecovid.org/en. In Northern California, studies are underway at UC San Francisco, Stanford University, VA Northern California Health Care System, UC Davis and several other sites. (Sforza, 2/28)

The Food and Drug Administration authorized a device called the "Q-Collar" that may help reduce the risk of traumatic brain injuries "associated with repetitive sub-concussive head impacts" sustained during sports. (Knutson, 2/27)

In 2000, the Food and Drug Administration approved just three cancer drugs. Last year, even with the agency laser-focused on the coronavirus pandemic, much of its staff teleworking, the agency still approved a record-breaking 17 different cancer therapies — more than in any other category. That’s the legacy of FDA drug center chief Janet Woodcock. (Florko, 3/1)

The medications that keep Karen Bumgardner breathing are expensive. At $711, one puff of Trelegy Ellipta, a long-acting inhaler she uses daily, costs about $24. The 40-year-old Cleveland County resident also uses about $100-a-month on  rescue medications to help her breathe during an attack, including an albuterol inhaler and nebulizer. (Engel-Smith, 2/26)