Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/q66mLjoY-r4   Tocilizumab, a Genentech-Roche drug marketed as Actemra for autoimmune arthritis and cytokine storms induced by CAR-T cell cancer therapy, did successfully squelch CoVid19 immune storm in a preliminary Chinese study.  Researchers there treated 20 patients with severe and critical disease in risk of dying.   The patients received a 9 day course of the drug along with vent therapy.  75% showed improved oxygenation and one patient came off oxygen and 90% showed improved lung CTs. 90% of patients with discharged well.    A worldwide clinical trial coded as COVACTA will begin recruiting 330 patients in April.  The drug, potentially lifesaving, does have serious side effects including gastrointestinal tears, liver toxicity, and cancer   http://chinaxiv.org/abs/202003.00026 https://www.cancernetwork.com/news/fda-approves-phase-iii-clinical-trial-tocilizumab-covid-19-pneumonia   #covid19 #coronavirus #cytokinestorm #covacta #actemra #tocilizumab