What do we know about arthritis drugs (including tocilizumab or sarilumab) as a treatment for severe COVID-19?
What do we know about arthritis drugs (including tocilizumab or sarilumab) as a treatment for severe COVID-19?
This explainer is more than 90 days old. Some of the information might be out of date or no longer relevant. Browse our homepage for up to date content or request information about a specific topic from our team of scientists.
This article has been translated from its original language. Please reach out if you have any feedback on the translation.
Tocilizumab and sarilumab are drugs used for arthritis treatment that have shown potential to reduce deaths among severely ill COVID-19 patients. Several clinical trials around the world are underway to study the effect of tocilizumab and sarilumab to treat severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. There have been mixed results about their efficacy to treat COVID-19 based on the studies conducted so far. A recent study of 800 patients conducted in the UK has shown encouraging results. As per the pre-print, which has not been peer-reviewed yet, hospital mortality among critically ill patients with COVID-19, who were on organ support in intensive cares, had better survival rates (28% and 22.2% respectively for early tocilizumab and sarilumab treatments) compared to those who were not treated with these drugs (35.8%). Based on the available research evidence, the U.K. NHS has encouraged the use of tocilizumab and sarilumab to support the treatment of patients with COVID-19 who have been admitted to intensive care units. Tocilizumab and sarilumab are immunosuppressor drugs, that work to suppress a protein called IL-6. When a virus infects a body and starts replicating itself, the immune system response activates, which in the case of severe infections may then lead to an inflammatory response, where the immune system starts attacking the body’s own cells. In case of severe COVID-19 illness, some patients experience a self- damaging cytokine response with very high levels of IL-6. These drugs help to inhibit such a response.
Tocilizumab and sarilumab are drugs used for arthritis treatment that have shown potential to reduce deaths among severely ill COVID-19 patients. Several clinical trials around the world are underway to study the effect of tocilizumab and sarilumab to treat severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. There have been mixed results about their efficacy to treat COVID-19 based on the studies conducted so far. A recent study of 800 patients conducted in the UK has shown encouraging results. As per the pre-print, which has not been peer-reviewed yet, hospital mortality among critically ill patients with COVID-19, who were on organ support in intensive cares, had better survival rates (28% and 22.2% respectively for early tocilizumab and sarilumab treatments) compared to those who were not treated with these drugs (35.8%). Based on the available research evidence, the U.K. NHS has encouraged the use of tocilizumab and sarilumab to support the treatment of patients with COVID-19 who have been admitted to intensive care units. Tocilizumab and sarilumab are immunosuppressor drugs, that work to suppress a protein called IL-6. When a virus infects a body and starts replicating itself, the immune system response activates, which in the case of severe infections may then lead to an inflammatory response, where the immune system starts attacking the body’s own cells. In case of severe COVID-19 illness, some patients experience a self- damaging cytokine response with very high levels of IL-6. These drugs help to inhibit such a response.
Publication
What our experts say
Tocilizumab and sarilumab are drugs used for arthritis treatment that have shown potential to reduce deaths among severely ill COVID-19 patients. Several clinical trials around the world are underway to study the effect of tocilizumab and sarilumab to treat severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. There have been mixed results about their efficacy to treat COVID-19 based on the studies conducted so far.
A recent study of 800 patients conducted in the UK has shown encouraging results. As per the pre-print, which has not been peer-reviewed yet, hospital mortality among critically ill patients with COVID-19, who were on organ support in intensive cares, had better survival rates (28% and 22.2% respectively for early tocilizumab and sarilumab treatments) compared to those who were not treated with these drugs (35.8%).
Based on the available research evidence, the U.K. NHS has encouraged the use of tocilizumab and sarilumab to support the treatment of patients with COVID-19 who have been admitted to intensive care units.
Tocilizumab and sarilumab are immunosuppressor drugs, that work to suppress a protein called IL-6. When a virus infects a body and starts replicating itself, the immune system response activates, which in the case of severe infections may then lead to an inflammatory response, where the immune system starts attacking the body’s own cells. In case of severe COVID-19 illness, some patients experience a self- damaging cytokine response with very high levels of IL-6. These drugs help to inhibit such a response.
Tocilizumab and sarilumab are drugs used for arthritis treatment that have shown potential to reduce deaths among severely ill COVID-19 patients. Several clinical trials around the world are underway to study the effect of tocilizumab and sarilumab to treat severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. There have been mixed results about their efficacy to treat COVID-19 based on the studies conducted so far.
A recent study of 800 patients conducted in the UK has shown encouraging results. As per the pre-print, which has not been peer-reviewed yet, hospital mortality among critically ill patients with COVID-19, who were on organ support in intensive cares, had better survival rates (28% and 22.2% respectively for early tocilizumab and sarilumab treatments) compared to those who were not treated with these drugs (35.8%).
Based on the available research evidence, the U.K. NHS has encouraged the use of tocilizumab and sarilumab to support the treatment of patients with COVID-19 who have been admitted to intensive care units.
Tocilizumab and sarilumab are immunosuppressor drugs, that work to suppress a protein called IL-6. When a virus infects a body and starts replicating itself, the immune system response activates, which in the case of severe infections may then lead to an inflammatory response, where the immune system starts attacking the body’s own cells. In case of severe COVID-19 illness, some patients experience a self- damaging cytokine response with very high levels of IL-6. These drugs help to inhibit such a response.
Context and background
A recent study in the UK and the NHS' recommenadtion encouraging the use of two arthritis drugs that have shown to reduce mortality rates among severely ill COVID-19 patients in ICUs is being covered by news agencies. As per some experts, more understanding is needed on what conditions and which patients benefit from these drugs..
A recent study in the UK and the NHS' recommenadtion encouraging the use of two arthritis drugs that have shown to reduce mortality rates among severely ill COVID-19 patients in ICUs is being covered by news agencies. As per some experts, more understanding is needed on what conditions and which patients benefit from these drugs..
Resources
- Interleukin-6 Receptor Antagonists in Critically Ill Patients with Covid-19 – Preliminary report (medRxiv)
- COVID-19 Therapeutic Alert: Interleukin-6 inhibitors (tocilizumab or sarilumab) for patients admitted to ICU with COVID-19 pneumonia (adults) (MHRA - UK Government)
- 2 Arthritis Drugs Reduce Deaths in Very Ill Covid Patients, Study Finds (NYT)
- Tocilizumab in Patients Hospitalized with Covid-19 Pneumonia (NEJM)
- Arthritis drugs could help save lives of Covid patients, research finds (The Guardian)
- Could Curbing Runaway Immune Responses Treat COVID-19?(The Scientist)
- Interleukin-6 Receptor Antagonists in Critically Ill Patients with Covid-19 – Preliminary report (medRxiv)
- COVID-19 Therapeutic Alert: Interleukin-6 inhibitors (tocilizumab or sarilumab) for patients admitted to ICU with COVID-19 pneumonia (adults) (MHRA - UK Government)
- 2 Arthritis Drugs Reduce Deaths in Very Ill Covid Patients, Study Finds (NYT)
- Tocilizumab in Patients Hospitalized with Covid-19 Pneumonia (NEJM)
- Arthritis drugs could help save lives of Covid patients, research finds (The Guardian)
- Could Curbing Runaway Immune Responses Treat COVID-19?(The Scientist)
