Tocilizumab News

India's fight against COVID-19 got stronger on Monday. Hetero's Tocilizumab biosimilar got DCGI's nod for treatment of hospitalised patients The drug is the biosimilar version of Roche's Actemra/RoActemra and will be available from September-end.

The drug Actemra (tocilizumab), which is used for arthritis can be given to hospitalised COVID-19 patients in the USA However, Actemra is not authorised for use in outpatients with COVID-19

Around 30,000 vials of Tocilizumab were imported from April 30 to May 11 The injections are manufactured by the Roche Company of Switzerland They are imported and marketed by Cipla Ltd in India

The NGO sought exemption of COVID-19 related drugs, medical equipment, other medical treatment for infection prevention, control measures and supportive care for patients from GST The rate of infection, the positivity rate, as well as the rate of hospitalization for those requiring critical treatment have all increased exponentially with double mutant virus The plea said that section 11 of the CGST Act confers the power of exemption from payment of GST on goods and services to the GST Council

The Delhi government's Drug Control Department on Friday (July 11, 2020) said that COVID-19 drug namely Remdesivir, Tocilizumab, Favipiravir should only be used for emergency purpose and directed the state drugs controller to keep a check on the selling of these medicines.