Banner Health Treating COVID-19 Patients with Arthritis Drug

One of Arizona’s major healthcare systems is testing the effectiveness of a drug traditionally utilized to treat rheumatoid arthritis in helping those critically ill with COVID-19. Leadership from Banner Health elucidated that the drug, tocilizumab, is an anti-inflammatory that could lessen the severity of COVID-19 in some cases. Initial studies of the drug’s effectiveness in treating the virus are mixed and it has not been granted Emergency Use Authorization by the Food and Drug Administration.

Banner Health began utilizing the drug as a form of COVID-19 treatment earlier this month; other health systems in Arizona, such as Dignity Health, are not currently using it as a form of treatment. Officials from Banner Health explained that the drug is one of the few tools they currently have for fighting COVID-19. The health care system will continue to monitor the benefits of the drug and adjust as needed in the future.

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