Rational Use of Tocilizumab in the Treatment of Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia

Authors: Zhang, S, Li, L, Shen, A. Chen, Y, and Qi, Z.

Publication: Clin Drug Investig; 40,6:511-518.

Affiliations: Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230001, Anhui, China; Department of Pharmacy, Wuxi People’s Hospital Attached to Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, 214023, Jiangsu, China.

Abstract: Since December 2019, a novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) has broken out in Wuhan, China and spread rapidly. Recent studies have found that   ̴ 15.7% of patients develop severe pneumonia, and cytokine storm is an important factor leading to rapid disease progression. Currently, there are no specific drugs for COVID-19 and the cytokine storm it causes. IL-6 is one of the key cytokines involved in infection-induced cytokine storm. Tocilizumab, which is the IL-6 receptor antagonist, has been approved by the US FDA for the treatment of cytokine release syndrome (CRS), is expected to treat cytokine storm caused by COVID-19 and is now in clinical trials. In this paper, we will elaborate the role of cytokine storm in COVID-19, the mechanism of tocilizumab on cytokine storm and the key points of pharmaceutical care based on the actual clinical application for COVID-19 in our hospital, the latest research reports, clinical trial progress of tocilizumab, drug instruction from the US FDA, and « Diagnosis and Treatment Plan of Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia (seventh trial edition) » in China, so as to provide reference for the treatment of COVID-19.