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 Roche's anti-inflammatory Actemra combined with Veklury, Gilead's
antiviral drug, failed to reduce hospitalisation durations in the
REMDACTA trial, which compared the cocktail with treatment using
only Veklury and standard care, Roche said.
The trial also showed the Actemra-Veklury cocktail missed secondary
targets such as reducing the likelihood a patient would need
mechanical ventilation and cutting death risk.
Actemra has had uneven results in several COVID-19 trials, helping
patients in some while not demonstrating a benefit in others.
Veklury, developed for treating Ebola, was the first drug approved
for COVID-19 patients, though its trials have also produced
conflicting conclusions on its benefits.
"Given the global impact of COVID-19 pneumonia on patients, we are
disappointed that the REMDACTA study did not meet its endpoints,"
said Roche Chief Medical Officer Levi Garraway.
But he said the "totality of the data" regarding Actemra, including
from other trials where it did succeed, showed it helps certain
patients.
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Roche has said the varying results were likely
due to differences in patients studied, the
timing of their treatments and the "endpoint",
or how success or failure is measured.
The varied findings have led to complex and
sometimes differing recommendations for the
medicines' use from country to country.
Germany's AWMF Association of Medical Societies,
for instance, recommends hospitals not use
Actemra for severe COVID-19 after finding "no
clear benefit", while a U.S. COVID-19 panel
recommends Actemra for certain COVID-19 patients
in hospitals or intensive care.
Actemra is approved for rheumatoid arthritis and
also deployed in cancer patients whose immune
systems overreact after cell therapy treatment.
During 2020, Actemra was Roche's
fifth-best-selling drug, with some $3 billion
revenue, with $600 million from COVID-19
treatment.
(Reporting by John Miller; editing by Ana
Nicolaci da Costa and Jason Neely)
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