This well-known medicine could actually help against severe forms of COVID

Is it possible that a drug known to the general public is one of the solutions to fight against the most serious forms of the coronavirus? This Wednesday 16 June, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, tends to show that the use of a pill sold under the brand name Xeljanz would be effective.

Half the number of deaths

289 patients hospitalised with severe forms of the virus in Brazil agreed to take part in a clinical trial. They were given a widely used drug, tofacitinib. This drug, known to treat arthritis, has shown positive effects in the fight against COVID-19. Of the 289 participants in the clinical trial, half received the drug, 2 x 10mg tablets per day, as well as standard care. The others were treated with standard care and just a placebo.

After 28 days of treatment, 18.1% of the people who received the arthritis drug developed respiratory failure with intubation or resuscitationleading to death, compared to 29% of the placebo group.

Promising results

According to Business Wire, 5.5% of trial participants on placebo died, compared to 2.8% of those treated with tofacitinib. Otavio Berwanger, one of the scientists who led the clinical project in partnership with the Pfizer laboratory, released a statement.

We are encouraged by the initial results of our randomised trial of tofacitinib in patients hospitalised with Covid-19 pneumonia