Largest Randomized Tocilizumab Trial Shows Mortality Reduction

The presence of excess inflammation in severe COVID-19 has motivated the hope that tocilizumab, an interleukin-6 inhibitor, would be beneficial; however, this agent failed to reduce mortality in several randomized trials. Now, results of the tocilizumab arm of the U.K. open-label platform trial RECOVERY have been published.

A total of 4116 adults hospitalized with COVID-19 (oxygen saturation <92% or requiring oxygen therapy; C-reactive protein ≥75 mg/L) were randomized to receive tocilizumab or usual care. Median hospitalization before randomization was 2 days, and 82% of patients were receiving systemic corticosteroids. For tocilizumab compared with usual care, 28-day mortality was 31% versus 35% and likelihood of hospital discharge within …