Experience with the use of siltuximab in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection

• Published in: Revista española de quimioterapia Vol. 34; no. 4; pp. 337 - 341
• Main Authors: Meira, Fernanda, Albiach, Laia, Carbonell, Cristina, Martín-Oterino, José-Ángel, Martín-Ordiales, Mercedes, Linares, Laura, Macaya, Irene, Agüero, Daiana, Ambrosioni, Juan, Bodro, Marta, Cardozo, Celia, Chumbita, Mariana, De la Mora, Lorena, García-Pouton, Nicole, Garcia-Vidal, Carolina, González-Cordón, Ana, Hernández-Meneses, Marta, Inciarte, Alexy, Laguno, Montserrat, Leal, Lorna, Morata, Laura, Puerta-Alcalde, Pedro, Rico, Verónica, Letona, Laura, Cózar-Llistó, Alberto, Dueñas, Gerard, Solá, Montserrat, Torres, Berta, Rojas, Jhon, Moreno, Antonio, Moreno-García, Estela, Torres, Manuel, Martínez, José A, Soriano, Alex, García, Felipe
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedad Española de Quimioterapia 01.08.2021
• Subjects: Original
• ISSN: 0214-3429; 1988-9518
• DOI: 10.37201/req/045.2021

Objectives. The study aims to describe characteristics and clinical outcome of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection that received siltuximab according to a protocol that aimed to early block the activity of IL-6 to avoid the progression of the inflammatory flare. Patients and methods. Retrospective review of the first 31 patients with SARS-CoV-2 treated with siltuximab, in Hospital Clinic of Barcelona or Hospital Universitario Salamanca, from March to April 2020 with positive polymerase-chain reaction (PCR) from a nasopharyngeal swab. Results. The cohort included 31 cases that received siltuximab with a median (IQR) age of 62 (56-71) and 71% were males. The most frequent comorbidity was hypertension (48%). The median dose of siltuximab was 800 mg ranging between 785 and 900 mg. 7 patients received siltuximab as a salvage therapy after one dose of tocilizumab. At the end of the study, a total of 26 (83.9) patients had been discharged alive and the mortality rate was 16.1% but only 1 out of 24 that received siltuximab as a first line option (4%). Conclusions. Siltuximab is a well-tolerated alternative to tocilizumab when administered as a first line option in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia within the first 10 days from symptoms onset and high C-reactive protein.