Arthritis pills that can slash death toll
THE arthritis drugs are known as IL- 6 receptor antagonists and work by damping down an overreaction of the immune system.
They were tested against Covid- 19 in the Government- funded REMAP- CAP trial, with around 800 patients recruited in six countries.
The hospital death rate was 27.3 per cent among patients treated with one of the drugs, compared with 35.8 per cent in a control group receiving standard care – a drop of 24 per cent.
Patients who received the treatment were also typically discharged from intensive care a week earlier, which could provide a lifeline for overloaded intensive care units.
Chief investigator Professor Anthony Gordon, chairman in anaesthesia and critical care at Imperial College London, said: “For every 12 patients in intensive care you treat with these drugs, based on the evidence we saw, you would expect to save one
life. It’s a big effect. At a time when hospitalisations and deaths from Covid- 19 are soaring in the UK, it’s crucial we continue to identify effective treatments that can help to turn the tide against this disease.”
Most patients in the trial were also receiving dexamethasone, a cheap steroid that was found to be the world’s first life- saving treatment for Covid during the summer.
This means the sickest patients can now receive two drugs, which combined should have a greater effect, say the experts.
Tocilizumab and sarilumab are delivered via a drip and most patients need only one hour- long infusion, although some given tocilizumab may receive a second.