The European Medicines Agency decision, which has to be
confirmed by the E.U.’s executive commission, extends the use of the drug
RoActemra, made by Swiss pharmaceuticals giant Roche, that is currently used to
treat forms of arthritis.
The Amsterdam-based EMA said it can now be used on adult
COVID-19 patients who are being treated with corticosteroids and require
supplemental oxygen or mechanical ventilation. The drug, given through an IV,
tamps down a protein called interleukin-6 that’s often found in excess in
COVID-19 patients.
The agency said a study of 4,116 hospitalized adults with
severe COVID-19 showed that treatment with RoActemra in addition to standard
treatment reduced the risk of death when compared with standard treatment alone. -AP
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