EMA starts review of Kineret in adult COVID-19 patients

19 July 2021

The European Medicines agency announced today that it has started evaluating an application to extend the use of Kineret (anakinra) to include treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in adult patients with pneumonia who are at risk of developing severe respiratory failure (inability of the lungs to work properly).

Marketed by Swedish Orphan Biovitrum (STO: SOBI), also known as Sobi, Kineret has been authorized in the European Union since March 2002. Kineret recorded revenues of 2,079 million kronor ($239.5 million), up 32%.

Kineret is an immunosuppressant currently authorized for the treatment of a number of inflammatory conditions. Its active substance, anakinra, blocks the activity of interleukin 1, a chemical messenger involved in immune processes that lead to inflammation. It is thought that this could also help reduce the inflammation and tissue damage associated with COVID-19.

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