Six patients will be treated with tocilizumab , the rheumatoid arthritis drug that has proven effective in the treatment of coronavirus pneumonia . One of the first patients "will be extubated - explains Paolo Ascierto of the Istituto Nazionale Tumori Irccs Fondazione Pascale of Naples to Adnkronos Salute - In 24 hours the patient has had significant improvements, tomorrow we will do a further check for maximum precaution, and we will proceed. Meanwhile, yesterday we started the treatment in two other people affected by Covid-19, and today we are going to treat two more. And even the Chinese researchers "confirmed the efficacy" of the anti-arthritis drug tocilizumab against the new coronavirus "with an improvement in the conditions of 20 out of 21 coronavirus patients treated in about 24-48 hours", Ascierto underlines. "In particular - says Ascierto - we know very well the mechanism of action of tocilizumab, which represents the treatment of choice in cytochemical release syndrome after therapy with CAR-T cells in some types of tumors. And after the confrontation with the Chinese researchers, a real task force was set up in Naples ». The task force is led, as well as by Paolo Ascierto, by Franco Buonaguro (Director of Molecular Biology and Viral Oncogenesis of Pascale) and by Vincenzo Montesarchio (Director of Oncology of the Colli Hospital). https://www.ilmessaggero.it/salute/ricerca/coronavirus_farmaco_napoli_anti_artrite_news_ultime_notizie_oggi_11_marzo_2020-5105167.html