2. Academic Validation
  3. Successful Treatment of Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia With Clazakizumab in a Heart Transplant Recipient: A Case Report

Successful Treatment of Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia With Clazakizumab in a Heart Transplant Recipient: A Case Report

  • Transplant Proc. 2020 Nov;52(9):2711-2714. doi: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2020.06.003.
Gaurang Vaidya 1,  Lawrence S C Czer 2,  Jon Kobashigawa 1,  Michelle Kittleson 1,  Jignesh Patel 1,  David Chang 1,  Evan Kransdorf 1,  Anuja Shikhare 3,  Hai Tran 4,  Ashley Vo 5,  Noriko Ammerman 5,  Edmund Huang 5,  Rachel Zabner 6,  Stanley Jordan 5
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Cedars-Sinai Smidt Heart Institute, Heart Transplant Program, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.
  • 2 Cedars-Sinai Smidt Heart Institute, Heart Transplant Program, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California. Electronic address: Lawrence.Czer@cshs.org.
  • 3 Department of Medicine, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Michigan.
  • 4 Department of Pharmacy Services, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.
  • 5 Comprehensive Transplant Center, Transplant Immunotherapy Program, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.
  • 6 Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.
PMID: 32563584 DOI: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2020.06.003
Abstract

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Infection is characterized by an overwhelming cytokine response. Various treatment strategies have been attempted.

Methods and results: A 61-year-old man with heart transplantation in 2017 presented with fever, cough, and dyspnea, and was confirmed positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Laboratory tests showed significant elevations in C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Echocardiogram showed left ventricular ejection fraction 58% (with ejection fraction 57% 6 months prior). Given the lack of clear management guidelines, the patient was initially managed symptomatically. However, the patient subsequently had a rapid respiratory deterioration with worsening inflammatory markers on day 5 of admission. Tocilizumab (anti-IL-6R) was in low supply in the hospital. The patient was offered clazakizumab (anti-IL-6) for compassionate use. Patient received 25 mg intravenously × 1 dose. Within 24 hours, he showed significant improvement in symptoms, oxygen requirements, radiological findings, and inflammatory markers. There was a transient leukopenia that improved in 4 days. He was discharged home on day 11, with negative nasopharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 PCR as an outpatient on day 35, development of positive serum COVID-19 IgG antibody, and he continued to do well on day 60, with no heart-related symptoms.

Conclusion: Clazakizumab is a monoclonal antibody against human IL-6, which may be helpful in inhibiting the cytokine response to SARS-CoV-2 in COVID-19. Although not yet FDA approved, it is being investigated for treatment of renal antibody-mediated rejection. Clinical trials of clazakizumab for treatment of COVID-19 are underway worldwide.

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