A Narrative Review on the Effectiveness of Tocilizumab in Reducing the Mortality Risk in COVID-19 Patients
- Author:
Nur Haifa Amani Binti Zulkiply
1
;
Vignesh Ramachandran
2
;
Ravindran Muthukumarasamy
1
Author Information
- Publication Type:Review
- Keywords: COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Tocilizumab, Interleukin-6 inhibitors, Cytokine storm
- From:Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences 2021;17(No.3):268-279
- CountryMalaysia
- Language:English
- Abstract: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has reached its pandemic scale within a short period of its first case reported in Wuhan, China in December 2019, leading to a great economic crisis all over the world. As of today, there is no clinically approved antiviral drug available for the treatment of COVID-19. Tocilizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against the interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor, clinically approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, is one such drug used to manage the COVID-19 symptoms. The current study reviews the effectiveness of Tocilizumab as a treatment option for COVID-19. Research findings on Tocilizumab are effective in COVID-19 patients with the risk of cytokine storm and further complications. Nevertheless, this review also recommends further investigation on the effectiveness of this drug with a large group of patients for more accuracy in results with COVID 19 patients.
- Full text:11.2021my1098.pdf
