RECOVERY trial shows tocilizumab reduces deaths in patients hospitalised with COVID-19 (11 February 2021)

Summary

The NIHR-supported RECOVERY trial has shown that tocilizumab – an anti-inflammatory rheumatoid arthritis treatment – reduces the risk of death for hospitalised patients with severe COVID-19.

Researchers also found that the drug reduces the length of hospital admission, and the risk of patients requiring mechanical ventilation.

Last year, the RECOVERY study was the world’s first to show that dexamethasone – a cheap and available steroid – reduces the risk of dying from COVID-19. The latest results from the study also suggests that for COVID-19 patients who have significant inflammation and require oxygen, a combination of a systemic corticosteroid – such a dexamethasone – alongside tocilizumab reduces mortality by about one third for patients requiring simple oxygen and nearly one-half for those requiring invasive mechanical ventilation.

RECOVERY is now the second NIHR-supported study to demonstrate the effectiveness of tocilizumab as a treatment for COVID-19 patients, after results from the REMAP-CAP study last month showed that tocilizumab and a second similar drug called sarilumab have a significant impact on survival and can reduce the relative risk of death for critically ill patients in intensive care.

The latest results from RECOVERY show that a much wider cohort of COVID-19 patients can potentially benefit from tocilizumab - beyond those critically ill on mechanical ventilation.

For this preliminary report, information on the primary outcome was available for 92% of patients. Report has not been peer-reviewed yet.