COTA, in collaboration with Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH), New Jersey’s largest and most comprehensive health network, and Berry Consultants recently conducted a study using real-world evidence (RWE) to determine the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine and tocilizumab to treat COVID-19. The study used real-world data (RWD) from HMH’s RE-COV-RY database, which is one of the biggest collections of hospital-based COVID-19 data in the United States representing more than 3,000 patients hospitalized with COVID-19. 

The study concluded hydroxychloroquine does not improve survival for patients hospitalized with COVID-19. It was also found that another drug, tocilizumab, may improve survival among critically ill intensive care unit patients. With this information, and if the results are confirmed through additional research, tocilizumab would become one of the first medications that can improve survival from COVID-19. Randomized clinical trials will be needed to determine the efficacy of these drugs, however, this real-world observational study offers initial insights into potentially effective treatment strategies for COVID-19.

Among 2,512 hospitalized patients with COVID-19, 76% of patients received at least one dose of hydroxychloroquine and 59% received hydroxychloroquine with azithromycin. The results from the study found that there were no significant differences in associated mortality for patients receiving any hydroxychloroquine during the hospital stay. Similarly, an exploratory analysis among 547 ICU patients, including 134 receiving tocilizumab, found a trend towards an improved survival rate, with 56% who received the drug compared to 46% who did not.