Anakinra was not associated with lower mortality in hospitalised COVID-19 patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

ABSTRACT

The Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues, and the death toll continues to surge. This meta-analysis aimed to determine the efficacy of anakinra on mortality in patients with COVID-19. A systematic search was made of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and clinicaltrials.gov, without language restrictions. Randomized controlled trials on treatment of COVID-19 with anakinra, compared with placebo or blank, were reviewed. Studies were pooled to risk ratios (RRs), with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Five Randomized controlled trials (enrolling 1859 participants) met the inclusion criteria. There was no statistically significant difference in 14-day mortality (RR 0.78, 95% CI 0.43-1.39; P = 0.40), 28-day mortality (RR 1.06, 95% CI 0.89-1.26; P = 0.51), and 90-day mortality (RR 1.01, 95% CI 0.73-1.39; P = 0.97) between the two groups. Sensitivity analyses further confirmed these results. Anakinra was not associated with reduced mortality in hospitalised patients with COVID-19. Anakinra probably should not be used routinely in COVID-19 patients.