Drug shows promise in 1st largely minority COVID-19 study
By MARILYNN MARCHIONE AP Chief Medical Writer
A drug company says that a medicine it sells to tamp down inflammation has helped prevent the need for breathing machines in hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the first large study that primarily enrolled Hispanics and Blacks. Switzerland-based Roche reported the results Friday for the drug, which is used now to treat rheumatoid arthritis and some other diseases. The results have not yet been published or reviewed by independent scientists. The study included nearly 400 patients from the U.S., South America and Africa. Hispanics and Blacks have been disproportionately hurt by the pandemic.