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Interleukin-6 blockade with sarilumab in severe COVID-19 pneumonia with systemic hyperinflammation: an open-label cohort study

E. Della Torre, C. Campochiaro, G. Cavalli, G. de Luca, Angela Napolitano, Salvatore La Marca, N. Boffini, V. Da Prat et al.

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 2020

28 participants · 219 citations

Abstract

Objectives To assess the safety and efficacy of interleukin (IL)−6 blockade with sarilumab in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia and systemic hyperinflammation. Methods We conducted an open-label study of sarilumab in severe COVID-19 pneumonia (PaO2/FiO2 100 mm Hg and lung consolidation <17% at CT scan predicted clinical improvement in patients treated with sarilumab. Median time to clinical improvement in patients with lung consolidation <17% was shorter after sarilumab (10 days) than after standard treatment (24 days; p=0.01). The rate of infection and pulmonary thrombosis was similar between the two groups. Conclusions At day 28, overall clinical improvement and mortality in patients with severe COVID-19 were not significantly different between sarilumab and standard of care. Sarilumab was associated with faster recovery in a subset of patients showing minor lung consolidation at baseline.

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a cohort study, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 28 participants or records.

How the five levels of evidence work. The level is assigned automatically from the abstract and can be wrong, so check the paper.

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