Arthritis drug might reduce COVID-19 deaths: trial

Tocilizumab appears to benefit patients who are severe enough to be hospitalised, study shows
Reuters Health Staff writer

Tocilizumab cuts the risk of death among patients hospitalised with severe COVID-19, also shortening the time to recovery and reducing the need for mechanical ventilation, according to trial results that await peer-review.

The findings — from the RECOVERY trial, which has been testing a range of potential treatments for COVID-19 since March 2020 — should help clear up confusion about whether tocilizumab has any benefit for COVID-19 patients after a slew of recent mixed trial results.