COVID-19

St. Clara’s Rehab & Senior Care hosts Eli Lilly Mobile Response Unit at start of phase 3 drug trial for COVID-19 prevention

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[September 22, 2020]   St. Clara’s Rehab and Senior Care – 1450 Castle Manor Drive, Lincoln - is officially a site for the Phase 3 drug trial for COVID-19 prevention that is being conducted by Eli Lilly and Company.

The Mobile Research Unit (MRU) arrived Thursday at St. Clara’s to begin the trial study. Heritage Operations Group, 115 W. Jefferson Street, Bloomington – manages the operations of St. Clara’s and has entered into an agreement to partner with drug manufacturer, Eli Lilly and Company of Indianapolis (NYSE: LLY) to initiate this drug trial named BLAZE-2 of their COVID-19 antibody drug currently called LY-CoV555. This trial is study the use of the drug to be used for the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 in residents and staff of skilled nursing, assisted living and supportive living facilities.

All Heritage owned and managed skilled nursing, assisted and supportive living facilities are potential test site candidates in this Phase 3 trial. “We are thrilled to be working with Eli Lilly and assisting them on their development of this potentially important COVID-19 treatment. So far, we have been able to offer few options other than infection control measures and palliative care. This partnership with Eli Lilly offers our residents and employees a sense of hope, and gives us an opportunity to be on the offensive against this terrible disease, which has disproportionately impacted the elderly population,” said Ben Hart, president and CEO of Heritage Operations Group.

“COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on nursing home residents. We’re working as fast as we can to create medicines that might stop the spread of the virus to these vulnerable individuals,” said Daniel Sovronsky, M.D., Ph.D., said Eli Lilly’s chief scientific officer and president of Lilly Research Laboratories. Eli Lilly’s study of this antibody drug is experimental, and participation by residents and staff is voluntary.

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Upon meeting certain COVID positive criteria, Eli Lilly will deploy a mobile research unit (MRU) to the facility and conduct an infusion clinic onsite. This process would be coordinated by staff at the Heritage corporate office. A research team consisting of approximately ten Eli Lilly staff (coordinators, physician assistants, infusion RNs, medical technicians) would conduct all trial operations.

Heritage Operations Group, LLC is a division of Heritage Enterprises, Inc., which was founded in 1962 and is involved in a variety of residential and health care services for seniors. The company opened the first nursing home in Bloomington, Illinois, where Heritage is headquartered. Today, the company employs over 4,300 people and owns or manages over 50 facilities throughout Illinois. Heritage offers RESTORE therapy services, skilled nursing services, sheltered care, respite care. Additionally, Heritage owns and manages supportive living, licensed assisted living and independent living facilities. For more information about Heritage, please visit www.HeritageOfCare.com.

[Melissa A. Beaver, MBA
Vice President – Community Relations & Marketing
Heritage Operations Group, LLC]

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