DCGI approves Hyderabad company for use of Tocilizumab for treatment of Covid in hospitalised adults

Sept. 6: Hyderabad-based Hetero stated that it has received the Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to use its generic version of Tocilizumab in India for the treatment of Covid-19 in hospitalised patients.

Hetero’s Tocira (Tocilizumab) will be marketed by its associate company ‘Hetero Healthcare’ in India with the support of its strong distribution network across the country. Hetero’s biologics arm, Hetero Biopharma will be manufacturing the drug at its dedicated biologics facility based at Jadcherla in Hyderabad.

The authorisation will enable the medical practitioners to use the generic drug Tocilizumab for the treatment of Covid-19 in hospitalised adults who are receiving systemic corticosteroids and require supplemental oxygen, non- invasive or invasive mechanical ventilation, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), the pharmaceutical company said.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended in July 2021 that the drug can be used for critically ill Covid-19 patients.