Actemra/RoActemra to be trialled in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia

As many drugmakers are looking at repurposing existing drugs to help alleviate the coronavirus crisis, Swiss pharma giant Roche (ROG: SIX) says it is in talks with the US medicines regulator for its blockbuster immunosuppressive drug.

Roche says it is working with the Food and Drug Administration to initiate a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase III clinical trial in collaboration with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a part of the US Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Actemra/RoActemra (tocilizumab) plus standard of care in hospitalized adult patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia compared to placebo plus standard of care.

Such use recommended in China