Levilimab in patients with COVID-19 in real-life practice

Tavlueva E.V.: Inozemtsev City Clinical Hospital, Moscow, Russia

Ivanov I.G.: Saint George the Martyr Municipal Hospital, St-Petersburg, Russia

Lytkina K.A.: City Clinical Hospital#4, Moscow, Russia

Plesovskiy P.A.: Komi Republican Clinical Hospital, Syktyvkar, Russia

Bezuglaya T.V.: Republican Infectious Hospital, Syktyvkar, Russia

Fridman S.R.: City Hospital #40, St-Petersburg, Russia

Meleshkevich T.A.: Inozemtsev City Clinical Hospital, Moscow, Russia

Strizheletskiy V.V.: Saint George the Martyr Municipal Hospital, St-Petersburg, Russia

Melkonyan G.G.: City Clinical Hospital#4, Moscow, Russia

Melik-Ogandzhanyan G.Yu.: City Clinical Hospital#4, Moscow, Russia

Uyanaeva M.A.: City Clinical Hospital#4, Moscow

Bezuglaya E.A.: Republican Infectious Hospital, Syktyvkar, Russia

Khobotnikov D.N.: City Hospital #40, St-Petersburg, Russia

Pukhtinskaia P.S.: JSC BIOCAD, St-Petersburg, Russia

Mladov V.V.: JSC BIOCAD, St-Petersburg, Russia

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Summary

Aim

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of levilimab in COVID-19 patients in the real-life clinical practice.

Material and methods

In a retrospective study, we enrolled 273 hospitalized patients (median age 62.0 years, 62.3% males) with moderately severe or severe COVID-19 who were treated with levilimab at a dose of 324 mg subcutaneously. To assess the efficacy of treatment we studied the changes in the status of patients and the clinical and laboratory parameters. The analysis of the safety included the frequency and profile of drug-related adverse reactions.

Results

Moderately severe COVID-19 was diagnosed in 56.4% of patients and severe disease in 43.2% of patients. Most patients (76.6%) presented with bilateral pneumonia involving 25% up to 75% of lung tissue. 89% of patients had concomitant chronic diseases. At the end of follow-up, 92.7% (253/273) of patients were discharged from the hospital, including 9 (3.3%) patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). 6.2% of patients (17/273) died, including 9 (3.3%) who were transferred to the ICU. 3 (1.1%) patients were lost from follow-up due to transfer to another hospital for organizational reasons.

Conclusion

Levilimab as a pathogenetic therapy for the complicated course of COVID-19 demonstrates a good clinical effect with a high proportion of discharged patients and favorable safety profile. Timely subcutaneous administration of levilimab in patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 provides the best clinical outcomes.

Key words

Levilimab, IL-6 receptor inhibitor, new coronavirus infection, COVID-19