Lack of tocilizumab effect on mortality in COVID19 patients.

Off-label tocilizumab use in COVID-19 patients reflects concern for cytokine release syndrome. Comparison of matched COVID-19 pneumonia patients found elevated IL-6 levels correlated with mortality that did not change with tocilizumab administration. Correlating mortality with increased IL-6 doesn't imply causality however lack of improvement by tocilizumab requires further clinical trial alterations.