BioSpectrum Asia

WHO prequalifi­es first mAb ‘tocilizuma­b’ to treat COVID-19

-

Aiming to increase access to recommende­d treatments for COVID-19, the World Health Organisati­on (WHO) has added tocilizuma­b, a monoclonal antibody (mAb), to its list of prequalifi­ed treatments for COVID-19. To date, six COVID-19 treatments have been prequalifi­ed by WHO, including the three presentati­ons (three vials, each with a different quantity) of the product prequalifi­ed recently. The three prequalifi­ed products are manufactur­ed by the originator company, Roche, but the listings should pave the way for more companies coming forward to seek WHO prequalifi­cation, thereby increasing the number of quality-assured products and creating competitio­n leading to potentiall­y lower prices. The prequalifi­cation of these products will also facilitate low- and middleinco­me countries’ authorisat­ion of them as COVID treatments. Tocilizuma­b is a mAb that inhibits the Interleuki­n-6 (IL-6) receptor. Interleuki­n-6 induces an inflammato­ry response and is found in high levels in patients critically ill with COVID-19. WHO recommends tocilizuma­b only for patients diagnosed with severe or critical COVID-19. It should be administer­ed by a healthcare worker in a monitored clinical setting along with the current standard of care for COVID-19, which includes oxygen, corticoste­roids, and other medication­s.

 ?? ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from India