Life-changing meds redirected to Covid-19 patients

Rheumatoid arthritis sufferers have been left in pain as one of their medications was diverted for the use of Covid-19 patients.

The drug in question, tocilizumab, was usually used to treat painful autoimmune conditions, but it was also found to be effective for moderate to severe Covid-19 cases.

As a result the medication, manufactured by Roche, is in short supply globally. In October last year the Government’s drug buying agency, Pharmac, funded tocilizumab for Covid-19 patients. Rheumatoid arthritis patients were offered upadacitinib as an alternative to those affected by the stock shortage.

Toni Gee said that the replacement drug, upadacitinib, took several months to take effect and even then failed to control her disease. Tocilizumab was the ‘‘first medication that worked for me in years’’, so she was ‘‘incredibly upset to come off it’’ and had now spent ‘‘seven months getting progressively worse’’.

Once she saw that tocilizumab was on the list of approved Covid19 drugs suggested by the Ministry of Health, she asked to return to it. She is still waiting to hear back from her pharmacy if they had supplies.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder, which causes the body’s immune system to attack its own tissue. It affects many joints, including in the hands and feet. In severe cases, it can attack internal organs.

Some rheumatoid arthritis patients found a silver lining to tocilizumab’s sudden unavailability. Several reported that the replacements such as upadacitinib, taken as nightly tablets, were effective and much more convenient than spending a day in hospital once a month for an infusion.

Pharmac director of operations, Lisa Williams, said with the spread of Covid-19 in New Zealand, Pharmac wanted to ensure tocilizumab treatment was available for those who needed it most, including those who had been hospitalised with severe Covid-19 infection.

‘‘Since then, Pharmac has also secured a range of Covid-19 treatments, some of which may be used to reduce the risk for people who may develop severe Covid-19. This is likely to reduce the need for tocilizumab for Covid-19.’’

Additional tocilizumab stock was delivered to New Zealand in December and January, and Pharmac was ‘‘working closely with suppliers and DHB hospitals to carefully manage’’ this supply.