A sponsored study of the monoclonal antibody siltuximab is being conducted in Italy to see if the therapy can help treat Covid-19 patients who have developed serious respiratory complications.

A compassionate use trial of siltuximab for the treatment of COVID-19 patients has been initiated at the Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital in Bergamo, Italy.

The trial will be sponsored by EUSA Pharma which will supply siltuximab for the study.

Siltuximab is a monoclonal antibody currently used for the treatment of Multicentric Castleman Disease.

It targets the production of inflammatory cytokine IL-6.

According to initial data from China, IL-6 may have a role in the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in COVID-19 patients.

The study aims to determine whether targeting this cytokine may improve the clinical outcomes for COVID-19 patients with serious respiratory complications.

The researchers also seek to understand the potential for IL-6 blockade in COVID-19 patients and to generate credible data to guide future research and treatment decisions.

KEY POINTS

1. Siltuximab will be used on a compassionate basis for the treatment of COVID-19 patients with serious complications in Italy.
2. It is an IL-6 targeted monoclonal antibody that targets the production of inflammatory cytokine IL-6.
3. Initial data suggest that IL-6 may be involved in the development of respiratory complications as a result of Covid-19.

“We are delighted to support this study to investigate the potential for siltuximab to help patients severely ill as a result of Covid-19,” says EUSA Pharma’s chief executive officer Lee Morley.

Article source: https://bit.ly/2vMPyWG

#ClinicalTrials, #COVID-19, #Siltuximab, #IL-6, #ARDS

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