ROCHE, GILEAD TO TEST DRUG COMBINATION

ZURICH: Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche said Thursday that it isplanningtotestwhetheramixof its arthritis drug tocilizumab and Gilead’santiviraldrugremdesivir could treat severe cases of Covid-19 effectively.

Rochesaidinastatementthatit had joined forces with Gilead for a global phase III clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of using tocilizumab—sold under the brand names Actemra and Roacemtra—combinedwithremdesivir in hospitalised patients with severe Covid-19 pneumonia.

The clinical trial is due to begin in early June with approximately 450 patients participating in the United States, Canada and Europe, Roche said, adding that the randomised study would evaluate the drugs’ efficiency compared to a placebo.

Remdesivir has shown promise in a completed study and a separate trial is under way on tocilizumab’s potential against the disease, but Roche said there were indications that mixing the two could be more effective.

“We believe that combining an antiviral with an immune modulator could potentially be an effective approach to treating patients with severe disease,” Levi Garraway, Roche’s chief medical officer and head of global product development, said in a statement.

“We’re pleased to partner with Gilead to determine whether combiningthesemedicinescould potentially help more patients during this pandemic,” he said.

A US study published last week showed that remdesivir helped severely ill Covid-19 patients who required supplemental oxygen. An ongoing French study has meanwhile indicated that tocilizumab might help prevent extreme inflammation. Roche said the final results of that trial were expected in the next few months.

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We believe that combining an antiviral with an immune modulator could potentially be an effective approach to treating patients with severe disease.

LEVI GARRAWAY, Roche’s chief medical officer and head of global product development