suPAR-Guided Anakinra Treatment for Management of Severe Respiratory Failure by COVID-19

Since March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic started in Europe, the Hellenic Institute for the Study of Sepsis has launched in Greece the SAVE clinical trial (suPAR-guided Anakinra treatment for Validation of the risk and Early management of severe respiratory failure by COVID-19) (EudraCT number 2020-001466-11; approval 38/20 of the National Ethics Committee of Greece, approval IS 028/20 of the National Organization for Medicine of Greece, ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT04357366). The concept of the SAVE trial was that early recognition of the risk for the progression of patients with lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 into severe respiratory failure (SRF) may guide anakinra therapy to prevent SRF. The tool that was used for the diagnosis of risk for SRF is the biomarker suPAR (soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor) at measurable concentrations in the blood ≥6 ng/ml. The trial was designed to be open-label non-randomized and the idea was το the start of treatment well before any sign of respiratory failure emerges. Patients hospitalized at tertiary hospitals during the same time period as the SAVE trial was ongoing and who were receiving the same standard-of-care (SOC) treatment were studied as comparators. An interim analysis was submitted to the National Organization for Medicines; number 108002/23.10/2020. In this interim analysis, 130 patients receiving anakinra treatment and SOC were analysed and they were compared to 130 patients receiving SOC. The 130 SOC parallel comparators were selected by propensity score matching to be fully matched to the anakinra-treated patients for age, comorbidities, severity scores on the day of hospital admission, i.e. APACHE II score, Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI), Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) and WHO severity, and for the intake of azithromycin, hydroxychloroquine and dexamethasone. SRF was defined as any respiratory ratio (pO2/FiO2) less than 150 mmHg necessitating mechanical ventilation or non-invasive ventilation (NIV). The results of this analysis may be summarized as follows:

• The incidence of SRF was significantly decreased from 59.2% in the parallel standard-of-care (SOC) comparators (n= 130) to 22.3% among the 130 anakinra-treated patients; hazard ratio, 0.30; 95% confidence intervals 0.20-0.46; P: 4.6 x 10-8.
• 30-day mortality was decreased from 22.3% in the SOC comparators to 11.5% among anakinra-treated patients; hazard ratio 0.49; 95% confidence intervals 0.25-0.97%; P: 0.041.
• Duration of stay at the intensive care unit was shortened with anakinra treatment compared to the SOC comparators for the patients who eventually developed SRF
• The median cost of hospitalization was significantly reduced from €2.398,40 among SOC comparators to €1.291,40 among anakinra-treated patients
• No safety concerns were raised.

Inclusion criteria

• Age equal to or above 18 years
• Male or female gender
• In case of women, unwillingness to remain pregnant during the study period.
• Written informed consent provided by the patient. For subjects without decision-making capacity, informed consent must be obtained from a legally designated representative following the national legislation in the Member State where the trial is planned.
• Confirmed infection by SARS-CoV-2 virus
• Findings in chest-X-ray or in chest computed tomography compatible with lower respiratory tract infection
• Need for hospitalization for COVID-19. The need for hospitalization is defined by the attending physician taking into consideration clinical presentation, requirement for supportive care, potential risk factors for severe disease, and conditions at home, including the presence of vulnerable persons in the household.
• Plasma suPAR ≥6ng/ml

Exclusion criteria

• Age below 18 years
• Denial for written informed consent
• Any stage IV malignancy
• Any do not resuscitate decision
• Αny pO2/FiO2 (partial oxygen pressure to fraction of inspired oxygen) ratio less than 150 mmHg irrespective if the patient is under mechanical ventilation (MV) / non-invasive ventilation (NIV) / extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) or not
• Patient under MV or NIV or ECMO
• Any primary immunodeficiency
• Less than 1,500 neutrophils/mm3
• Plasma suPAR less than 6 ng/ml
• Known hypersensitivity to anakinra
• Oral or IV intake of corticosteroids at a daily dose equal or greater than 0.4 mg/kg prednisone for a period greater than the last 15 days.
• Any anti-cytokine biological treatment the last one month
• Severe hepatic failure defined as Child-Pugh stage of 3
• End-stage renal failure necessitating hemofiltration or peritoneal hemodialysis
• Pregnancy or lactation. Women of child-bearing potential will be screened by a urine pregnancy test before inclusion in the study
• Participation in any other interventional trial