Roche’s Actemra, first approved by the US FDA in 2010 for rheumatoid arthritis, was approved to treat coronavirus patients with serious disease and lung damage, according to new China guidelines for COVID-19 treatment. Actemra isn't intended to kill the coronavirus directly. Instead, it inhibits the interleukin 6 (IL-6) receptor, a proinflammatory cytokine, reducing the potentially lethal cytokine storm that affects seriously ill patients. China will allow the use of Actemra in patients with elevated IL-6 levels, which was already being used as an indicator of worsening disease. More details....
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