Important Relationship between IL-6 Inhibitors and COVID-19 Treatment

Beneficial results have been reported in the treatment of COVID-19.

In this clinical trial Treatment with the IL-6 receptor antagonists, tocilizumab and sarilumab improved survival outcomes in critically ill adult patients with COVID-19 receiving organ support in the ICU. Both tocilizumab and sarilumab are IL-6 inhibitors.

On April 21, 2021, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare approved a JAK inhibitor (baricitinib), which is prescribed for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, as a treatment for moderate and severe patients with COVID-19. In Japan, three drugs, remdesivir, dexamethasone or baricitinib, will be prescribed as therapeutic agents for moderate and severe patients with COVID-19.

In clinical practice, COVID-19 patients and healthcare professionals are very grateful for the increased choice of treatments for moderate and severe COVID-19 patients.

Humanized anti-IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody inhibits the binding of IL-6 to the receptor (membrane-bound, secretory). The anti-rheumatic drugs developed as the world's first IL-6 inhibitor are under the trade name Actemra (Chugai Pharmaceutical) and the trade name Kebuzara (KEVZARA, Sanofi, Asahi Kasei Pharma). The humanized anti-IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody has already been approved in Japan and is indicated for diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and Castleman's disease. Sales for seven years since its launch in 2008 are over 100 billion yen.

Author contributions
T.H. wrote the manuscript. I.K. carefully reviewed the manuscript and commented on aspects of clinical medicine, shared information on clinical medicine.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest
The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest.

Data availability and Consent to publish
This manuscript is an editorial and does not contain research data.
Therefore, there is no research data or information to be published or opened.

Acknowledgments
We thank all the medical staffs and co-medical staffs for providing and helping medical research at National Hospital Organization Kyoto Medical Center.

Doctor specializing in cancer medicine/Cancer genomic medicine/Emerging infectious diseases 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Nwe Engl J Med. Published on April 23, 2021. by Kyoto@Takuma H