Study: Critically ill COVID-19 patients may have better chance of survival with another drug

PITTSBURGH — Critically ill COVID-19 patients may have a better chance of survival with yet another drug that is being tested to combat the virus, according to a new study.

This time, it’s a drug normally used to fight rheumatoid arthritis -- called Tocilizumab.

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“It’s promising and I still think there needs to still be more studies done with this medication to see if it’s going to be one of those medications we can approve to use in the future,” said Dr. Tariq Cheema, with Allegheny Health Network.

Cheema, the division director of pulmonary critical care, is also studying the drug and how it could be used to help coronavirus patients.

“It’s been used in other autoimmune viruses like rheumatoid arthritis successfully in the past, and from that data, we tried to use it for this disease to see if there is any benefit,” said Cheema.

Researchers said their findings show that if a critically ill patient is given the drug in the first two days of ICU care, they have a higher chance of surviving.

However, doctors are questioning the long-term effects of the drug.

Cheema said 28 days after the initial treatment, it did not show the same effects.

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Cox Media Group