On Nov. 5, 2020, Novartis announced data from an interim analysis for the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled CAN-COVID trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of canakinumab in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and cytokine release syndrome (CRS).

The ongoing trial failed to meet its primary endpoint showing that treatment with canakinumab plus standard of care (SoC) did not demonstrate a significantly greater chance of survival for patients without the need for invasive mechanical ventilation, compared with placebo plus SoC up to Day 291. The trial did not meet its key secondary endpoint of reducing the COVID-19-related death rate during the 4-week period after treatment.