Effectiveness of Tocilizumab in COVID-19 Patients with Pneumonia: A Systematic Review.

Background and objective: COVID-19 contributes significantly to global morbidity and mortality. Age-related comorbidities elevate the risk of severe cases. Studies have recently demonstrated that widely available medications, including tocilizumab (TCZ), can manage severe symptoms. However, its effectiveness is unclear, particularly among the older population. Therefore, this review aimed to evaluate TCZ's efficacy in managing severe pneumonia in individuals aged 50 and older.

Methods: We systematically search several databases and gray literature including Web of Science, CINAHL, Academic Search Complete, PsycINFO, PsycArticles, SocINDEX, CENTRAL/Cochrane Library, PubMed/MEDLINE for original research articles in English across several study designs published in the year 2020-2022. A narrative synthesis was conducted to summarize the evidence. We employed the NIH quality assessment tool for observational cohort studies to evaluate risk of bias. Additionally, we utilized GRADE to appraise the certainty of evidence.

Results: Among 539 screened articles, only five studies met the selection criteria. Tocilizumab's impact on severe COVID-19 pneumonia revealed a diverse effect on mortality rate, with 29% in the TCZ group, and 40% in the controls died within 30 days of intubation (OR 0.61; 95% CI, 0.27-1.36). It is also reported that TCZ was not associated with mortality, despite faster decline in pulmonary function and prolonged fever. Hospital mortality in the TCZ group was significantly lower than in the controls, and age over 60 was the only significant risk factor. Moreover, administering TCZ reduced mechanical ventilation needs, with 82% extubated compared to 53% in controls. However, 45% in TCZ group was associated with a higher ventilator-associated pneumonia rate than in the untreated group which was 20% (P < 0.001). Despite this, TCZ-treated patients had shorter hospital stays.

Conclusions: The effects of tocilizumab on reducing mortality risk and improving the survival rate of COVID-19 patients with pneumonia remained inconclusive. Yet, the majority of results suggested that giving tocilizumab leads to shorter hospital stays, lowers the requirement for mechanical ventilation, and decreases the likelihood of ICU transfer. Tocilizumab is linked to the incidence of secondary infections; hence, this medication should be closely monitored for side effects.