Mavrilimumab for COVID-19

The monoclonal antibody mavrilimumab, an investigational treatment that’s been studied for rheumatoid arthritis, is associated with improved clinical outcomes among patients with severe COVID-19 in Italy, suggests a small study in The Lancet Rheumatology. Thirteen non-mechanically ventilated patients with systemic hyperinflammation who received an intravenous dose of mavrilimumab were compared with 26 patients given usual care. Mortality at 28 days was lower in the mavrilimumab group (0% vs. 27%), but the difference was not statistically significant. The mean time to clinical improvement (i.e., improving two points on a seven-point scale) was significantly faster in the treatment group (8 vs. 19 days). The authors acknowledge that the results need to be confirmed in a large, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Mavrilimumab study in The Lancet Rheumatology