Actemra/RoActemra fails to help patients with severe COVID-19 associated pneumonia

Since the novel coronavirus pandemic outbreak, and with no available vaccines or treatment, many dozens of existing medicines have been trialled in the setting, so far with few successes.

Adding to the list of failures is Actemra/RoActemra (tocilizumab), which did not meet the primary endpoint of the Phase III COVACTA study in hospitalized adult patients with severe COVID-19 associated pneumonia, marketer of the blockbuster immunosuppressive drug, Roche (ROG: SIX), announced today.

In addition, the key secondary endpoints, which included the difference in patient mortality at week four, were not met; however, there was a positive trend in time to hospital discharge in patients treated with Actemra/RoActemra. The COVACTA study did not identify any new safety signals for Actemra/RoActemra. Further analysis of the trial results is needed to fully understand the data. The results will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

“People around the world are waiting for further effective treatment options for COVID-19 and we are disappointed that COVACTA did not demonstrate a benefit for patients in either clinical status or mortality at week four. We will continue to generate evidence to provide a more complete understanding of Actemra/RoActemra in COVID-19 associated pneumonia,” said Dr Levi Garraway, Roche’s chief medical officer and head of global product development, who added that the company “will keep working to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic.”