Rescue treatments for people with severe covid-19 are still scarce, bNew results from a large ongoing trial in the UK have shown that one existed an anti-arthritis medication called tocilizumab can significantly reduce the risk of death from hospitalized patients, especially when combined with steroid treatment.
He RECOVERY The trial, led by researchers at Oxford University in the UK, has been testing potential candidates for severe covid-19 treatment since March 2020, with more than 36,000 participants registered to date. His findings were some of the first demonstrate that the steroid dexamethasone provided a modest but real benefit in saving the lives of hospital patients in need of oxygen support. The study has also helped rule out promising treatments such as hydroxychloroquine and the lopinavir-ritonavir HIV cocktail.
The tocilizumab arm of RECOVERY involved 2,022 randomized patients receiving the drug in addition to standard care, which was then compared to a group of patients of similar size who only received standard care. Soon in this trial, which began in April 2020, steroids became a standard treatment; As a result, 82% of patients also received steroids drugs too.
According to the results, released Thursday as a prepress a MedRxiv, tocilizumab had a modest but clinically significant effect on reducing mortality. In the treatment group, 29% of patients died at 28 days, compared with 33% of patients patients in the control group. People taking tocilizumab were also more likely to be discharged from the hospital within 28 days (54% vs. 47%). In reality-In global terms, the drug was expected to save one in 25 patients who took it that.
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Although some previous research had found little or no benefit from the use of tocilizumab, the RECOVERY trial is by far the largest study to date to test its effectiveness, the authors noted. Walong with steroid treatment, they estimated that these drugs can reduce the risk of mortality in patients with supportive oxygen by a third. and half for people with fans.
“Previous trials of tocilizumab had shown mixed results and it was unclear which patients could benefit from treatment. We now know that the benefits of tocilizumab extend to all COVID patients with low oxygen levels and significant inflammation. The double impact of dexamethasone plus tocilizumab is impressive and very welcome, “said Peter Horby, an emerging infectious disease researcher at Oxford and co-principal investigator at RECOVERY. statement released by the university.
Tocilizumab is a laboratory-made monoclonal antibody designed to reduce the hyperactive immune system, a common feature of severe covid-19. Unlike dexamethasone, which also suppresses the immune system, tocilizumab is still patented by the pharmaceutical company Roche and is much more expensive per dose. Therefore, this may affect the access that countries or patients will have to the drug.
However, given the continuing need for reliable options, tocilizumab seems willing to be part of the toolkit for physicians treating these critical cases. And there may be even more treatments. Another antibody-based arthritis medication called sarilumab has shown similar life-saving promises while the FDA earlier this week authorized the emergency use of an antibody cocktail developed by Eli Lilly for people at high risk of serious illness and hospitalization. In the United States, there are still more than 70,000 patients currently hospitalized with covid-19.
RECOVERY researchers are still testing other drugs, including aspirin and two antibody-based drugs. They also plan to present their preliminary findings on tocilizumab to a peer-reviewed journal.