Researchers have found a new drug for corona patients who end up in intensive care. The existing drug tocilizumab appears to shorten the admission time and the length of time that people need to be ventilated. It also affects the number of deaths.
Critically ill coronapplants who receive the drug experience almost a doubling of their chance of a better disease course. This is shown by research in 260 hospitals around the world, in which more than three hundred patients took part.
Tocilizumab is used in rheumatoid arthritis, among others.
UMC Utrecht coordinates the European part of the study. The researchers are very enthusiastic. Doctor-microbiologist Marc Bonten speaks of “really good news” for patients. “It is precisely for the group of seriously ill people in intensive care that we have not often seen a new treatment being proven effective. That is why this is really a breakthrough”, he says. In addition, patients can receive the drug right now.
It consists of a protein that moderates the immune system. “We think that patients with Covid-19 who come to intensive care are not so much sick from the virus itself, but from the overreaction of the immune system to the virus,” explains microbiologist Lennie Derde of UMC Utrecht.
It is the second proven effective therapy. Earlier it became clear that the anti-inflammatory hydrocortisone also works against Covid-19. In addition, this study shows that lopinavir and ritanovir have not been shown to help.
Many questions about tocilizumab remain unanswered
The study has not yet been peer-reviewed or published in a scientific journal and many additional questions have not yet been answered.
For example, the researchers are not yet able to quantify exactly how much mortality decreases with use of the drug or how many shorter patients who received it were on ventilation. Further statistical analysis should provide those answers.
Despite this, the researchers chose to publish their results, partly to help colleagues who are also researching the drug, microbiologist Bonten told the WE.
According to the authors of the study, independent analysis has already shown that tocilizumab can be said to be effective with 99.8 percent certainty.
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