Anakinra may reduce need for invasive mechanical ventilation and mortality of hospitalized non-intubated patients with COVID-19

Objectives:
Do hospitalized non-intubated patients with COVID-19 benefit from treatment with anakinra?

Study design:
This review article included 9 trials with 1,119 COVID-19 patients. 
The bias risk with reference to the assessed parameters was high.

Results and conclusions:   
The investigators found in pooled analyses, anakinra significantly reduced the need for invasive mechanical ventilation with 62% [odds ratio (OR) = 0.38, 95% CI = 0.17 to 0.85, p = 0.02, I2 = 67%, 6 studies, n = 587], compared with standard of care therapy.

The investigators found in pooled analyses, anakinra significantly reduced mortality risk with 68% [OR = 0.32, 95% CI = 0.23 to 0.45, p 0.00001, I2 = 0%, 9 studies, n = 1,119], compared with standard of care therapy.

The investigators found in pooled analyses, there were no differences regarding the risk of adverse events, including liver dysfunction [OR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.48 to 1.16, p > 0.05, I2 = 28%, 5 studies, n = 591] and bacteremia [OR = 1.07, 95% CI = 0.42 to 2.73, p > 0.05, I2 = 71%, 6 studies, n = 727].  

The investigators concluded available evidence shows that treatment with anakinra may reduce both the need for invasive mechanical ventilation and mortality risk of hospitalized non-intubated patients with COVID-19 without increasing the risk of adverse events. May reduce because the bias risk with reference to the assessed parameters was high.
Confirmation of efficacy and safety requires randomized placebo-controlled trials.

Original title:
Anakinra in hospitalized non-intubated patients with coronavirus disease 2019: a systematic review and meta-analysis by Barkas F, Ntekouan SF, […], Milionis H.

Link:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33999135/

Additional information of El Mondo:
Find more information/studies on coronavirus right here.

Anakinra is a biopharmaceutical drug used to reduce the pain and swelling associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Anakinra is in a class of medications called interleukin antagonists. Anakinra works by blocking the activity of interleukin, a protein in the body that causes joint damage.