ISLAMABAD – According to a French clinical study carried out by the Parispublic hospital group AP-HP, an arthritis drug has shown promising resultsin preventing extreme inflammation in critically ill COVID-19 patients.
Known as “Tocilizumab” the drug was administered to 129 moderate to severeCOVID-19 patients. Half of the patients were injected with Tocilizumabtwice a day along with other antibiotics and standard treatment, while theremaining half were treated through routine care.
The researchers found that patients who were injected with Tocilizumabtwice a day were less likely to die and less likely to be put on lifesupport in comparison to those who didn’t receive Tocilizumab.
Researchers believe that Tocilizumab prevents cytokine storm, a severereaction to foreign bodies that causes the immune system to attack healthycells. Cytokine storm is a common fatal complication in severe cases of thecoronavirus.
The results of the study are yet to be made public officially. AP-HP hasstated that it will take further research to understand any potential sideeffects of the Tocilizumab treatment.
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Professor Jacques Eric Gottenberg, Head of Rheumatology Department at theCHU Strasbourg hospital, says if these results are confirmed, the advantageis that Tocilizumab is widely available in the market.
Tocilizumab costs €800 per injection. It is a lab-synthesized antibody,sold under the names of Actemra and RoAcemtra.
