Rheumatoid arthritis drug reduces death in hospita

Rheumatoid arthritis drug reduces death in hospitalized patients with severe Covid, Oxford researchers say

PUBLISHED THU, FEB 11 202110:00 AM EST
Berkeley Lovelace Jr.
@BERKELEYJR
A pharmacist displays a box of tocilizumab, which is used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, at the pharmacy of Cambrai hospital, France, April 28, 2020.
A pharmacist displays a box of tocilizumab, which is used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, at the pharmacy of Cambrai hospital, France, April 28, 2020.
Pascal Rossignol | Reuters
A drug used to treat people with rheumatoid arthritis appears to reduce the risk of death in hospitalized patients with severe Covid-19, especially when it was combined with the steroid dexamethasone, researchers at the University of Oxford said Thursday.

Oxford researchers also found tocilizumab, an intravenous drug manufactured by a division of Swiss drug maker Roche, also shortened patients’ length of stay at hospitals and reduced the need for a ventilator. The study was part of the RECOVERY trial, which has been testing a range of potential treatments for Covid-19 since March.