Argentinian Study Finds Tocilizumab Helped 4 of 5 Hantavirus Patients Survive

1 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · Jun 4

Four of five Argentine patients with hantavirus pulmonary syndrome survived after receiving tocilizumab plus supportive care, according to a Lancet Infectious Diseases report from an ongoing compassionate-use study.
Five other eligible patients who received only standard care died, though researchers said that group was older and sicker, so the rheumatoid arthritis drug still needs further study rather than proving efficacy.
The findings target Andes virus, the strain tied to a recent cruise ship outbreak and the only hantavirus believed capable of limited person-to-person spread.
Hantavirus remains rare but highly lethal: three of 13 likely cruise-ship cases were fatal, Chile has confirmed 15 deaths and 42 cases this year, and Argentina has reported 32 deaths and 102 cases since June 2025.
Researchers in Chile, the U.S. and elsewhere are also pursuing antibody therapies and vaccines, but sporadic outbreaks and thin funding have slowed human trials and broader development.