Efficacy and harms of tocilizumab for the treatment of COVID-19 patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

We systematically assessed benefits and harms of tocilizumab (TCZ), which is an antibody blocking IL-6 receptors, in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Methods

Five electronic databases and two preprint webpages were searched until March 4, 2021. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW) cohorts assessing TCZ effects in hospitalized, COVID-19 adult patients were included. Primary outcomes were all-cause mortality, clinical worsening, clinical improvement, need for mechanical ventilation, and adverse events (AE). Inverse variance random-effects meta-analyses were performed with quality of evidence (QoE) evaluated using GRADE methodology.

Results

Nine RCTs (n = 7,021) and nine IPTW cohorts (n = 7,796) were included.

SUBMITTER: Piscoya A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9165853 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature