The drug, which will be added to the UK’s treatment guidelines, offers hope at a time of growing concern about the country’s health system may be overwhelmed.
An arthritis drug has been found to reduce the risk of death for people with the most severe cases of COVID-19 by a quarter if they receive treatment 24 hours after entering the ICU, a British study of treatments for the disease found.
The REMAP-CAP clinical trial, led by Imperial College and funded by the UK government, found that tocilizumab, which suppresses the immune system and has long been used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, can reduce the relative risk of death by 24 percent when administered shortly after admission to the ICU.
It also reduced the time that patients spend in intensive care between seven and 10 days, the health ministry said in a statement.
Most of the data came from when the drug was administered in addition to a corticosteroid, such as dexamethasone, which has already been shown to improve patients’ chances of recovering from severe cases of COVID-19. The findings are awaiting peer review.
“This is a significant step towards increasing the survival of patients in intensive care with COVID-19,” said UK Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Van-Tam in a statement.
“The data show that tocilizumab, and probably sarilumab (another study drug), accelerate and increase the chances of recovery in intensive care, which is crucial to help relieve pressure on intensive care and hospitals and save lives. “
A mass vaccination program is underway in the UK, but as the outbreak accelerates, there are concerns that the health system may be overburdened [Jacob King/Pool via AFP]
The UK is battling a growing coronavirus crisis fueled by a new variant of the coronavirus that is significantly more transmissible. The authorities imposed a new blockade on the country of almost 67 million people amid growing concern that the health system could be overwhelmed by the sheer number of patients in need of hospital treatment, even before the benefits of a vaccination program in place. mass are felt.
About 52,618 cases were confirmed on Thursday and 3,600 people admitted to the hospital.
“The implementation of these treatments can significantly contribute to reducing pressure on hospitals in the coming weeks and months,” said the health ministry, adding that, under updated guidance, doctors would be encouraged to use tocilizumab in the treatment of patients with COVID-19 hospitalized in intensive care units “potentially saving hundreds of lives”.