Roche to study remdesivir/Actemra cocktail against severe Covid-19 pneumonia

Workers clean the windows of a building of Roche in Rotkreuz on May 27, 2020. PHOTO: REUTERS

ZURICH (REUTERS) - Swiss drugmaker Roche said on Thursday (May 28) it would study its anti-inflammation drug Actemra mixed with Gilead Science's remdesivir in hospitalised patients with severe Covid-19 pneumonia in a global trial of around 450 patients.

"Based on our current understanding, we believe that combining an antiviral with an immune modulator could potentially be an effective approach to treating patients with severe disease," Chief Medical Officer Levi Garraway said in a statement.

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