Jan 11 (Nikkei) - Arthritis medication developed by Japan's Chugai Pharmaceutical provides effective treatment against the coronavirus, according to the British government, lowering mortality risk and shortening hospital stays.
A U.K. government-backed trial found Chugai's tocilizumab, marketed as Actemra, to lower patients' risk of death from COVID-19 by 24%, with their stays in intensive care units shortened by seven to 10 days.
British Health Secretary Matt Hancock called the trial results a "landmark development in finding a way out of this pandemic" and expressed confidence that the treatments would "play a significant role in defeating this virus."
