Compassionate Use of Tocilizumab in Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 in a Low-resource Country, Pakistan: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Background: We herein report our experience of optimized utilization of tocilizumab for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a limited-resource tertiary care hospital.Methods: This single-center, single-arm, open-label, interventional study was conducted to determine the effect of tocilizumab on the mortality of patients with COVID-19.Results: Fifty-nine patients were administered tocilizumab. Patients who received invasive respiratory support were identified to have a higher risk of mortality than those who received oxygen support.Conclusion: Our study showed that the maximum benefit of tocilizumab was observed as a prophylactic treatment of cytokine syndrome in patients with COVID-19, particularly those with moderate to severe symptoms who are not receiving invasive respiratory support.TOCIPAK https://ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/rg/RBR-25rtydq; REBEC Number 11773