Tocilizumab in patients with severe COVID‐19: a single‐center observational analysis

Knorr, John; Colomy, Veronika; Mauriello, Christine; Ha, Seung

OBJECTIVE: Patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) may develop severe respiratory distress, thought to be mediated by cytokine release. Elevated proinflammatory markers have been associated with disease severity. Tocilizumab, an IL‐6 receptor antagonist, may be beneficial for severe COVID‐19, when cytokine storm is suspected. METHODS: This is a retrospective single‐center analysis of the records of patients diagnosed with COVID‐19 who received tocilizumab. Outcomes, including clinical improvement, mortality and changes in oxygen‐support at 24, 48, and 72 hours, and 7, 14 and 28 days post‐tocilizumab, are reported. Patients were evaluated by baseline pre‐tocilizumab oxygenation status and changes in proinflammatory markers within seven days post‐tocilizumab are reported. RESULTS: Sixty‐six patients received tocilizumab at a mean dose of 724mg (7.4mg/kg), 3.7 days from admission. At baseline, 53% of patients were on ventilation support and all had elevated proinflammatory markers, including c‐reactive protein (CRP). Common comorbidities were diabetes mellitus (43%) and hypertension (74%). Most patients received concomitant glucocorticoids and hydroxychloroquine. Seven days after tocilizumab, ten patients (15.2%) had clinical improvement in their oxygenation status, and there was a 95% decrease in CRP. Within 14 days of treatment, 29% of patients had clinical improvement, 20% had minimal or no improvement, 17% worsened, 27% died, and 7% were transferred to an outside hospital. Ultimately, 42% of all patients that received tocilizumab expired and 49% were discharged. CONCLUSION: This study found limited clinical improvement in patients that received tocilizumab in the setting of severe COVID‐19. Clinical trials are ongoing to further evaluate tocilizumab's benefit in this patient population. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.