Phase III trial shows efficacy of Actemra/RoActemra in COVID-19 associated pneumonia

The Phase III EMPACTA study met its primary endpoint, showing that patients with COVID-19 associated pneumonia who received Actemra/RoActemra (tocilizumab) plus standard of care were 44% less likely to progress to mechanical ventilation or death compared to patients who received placebo plus standard of care (log-rank p-value = 0.0348; HR [95% CI] = 0.56 [0.32, 0.97]), Swiss pharma giant Roche (ROG: SIX) announced this morning.

The cumulative proportion of patients who progressed to mechanical ventilation or death by day 28 was 12.2% in the Actemra/RoActemra arm versus 19.3% in the placebo arm. The EMPACTA study did not identify any new safety signals for Actemra/RoActemra.

Follows disappointing results in prior study