Mumbai: Amid shortage of Tocilizumab, experts question its efficacy

Amidst a shortage of Tocilizumab a drug considered to be one of the supportive treatments for COVID19 experts have started to question its efficacy While relatives of patients are extremely worried about its unavailability members of the COVID task force and doctors feel that Tocilizumab has limited effects and Itolizumab a similar drug priced at onefourth the former is more effectiveSpeaking to midday Dr Om Srivastava infectious diseases specialist and member of the COVID task force said that he had seen positive results in 20 patients he administered Itolizumab to It is a far more effective option While Tocilizumab has a unimolecular directional approach Itolizumab has consistent effects on several sites at the same time he saidTo be used judiciouslyDr Shashank Joshi a member of the task force said that doctors had been asked to use Tocilizumab judiciously and not give more than one or two doses to each patient These drugs are experimental and the therapy keeps changing Current research shows that Tocilizumab is not a lifesaving drug and more trials are underway There are other alternatives like steroids plasma and Itolizumab which have lifesaving potential Itolizumab is a slightly better molecule and there is no shortage of it since it is manufactured by an Indian company he said adding unlike Tocilizumab there had been trials of Itolizumab in KEM and Nair hospitals which yielded positive resultsAlso ReadDr Reddys launches Avigan tablets in India for COVID19Swab samples being collected at a building in Match Factory Lane Kurla WestItolizumab has to be given very slowly along with steroids If it is given too quickly then it causes infusion infection said Dr JoshiNo trials to compareWhile senior intensivist and task force member Dr Rahul Pandit recommended that only a single dose of Tocilizumab should be given Dr Kedar Toraskar another task force member said Indiscriminate use of the drug should not be done since it can lead to secondary infections Itolizumab can be an alternative provided it fits the needs of the patient but there has been no headtohead trial to compare the twoSpeaking about the trial that was conducted at Nair hospital dean Dr Mohan Joshi said 200 patients at the hospital had been given Itolizumab All those who received it have done well and it is a wonderful drug It is effective on a broader scale and in some ways is better than Tocilizumab he said adding that private doctors dont prescribe it as much since it is made in India and they prefer an international drug Meanwhile relatives of patients have been complaining about the unavailability of Tocilizumab as Cipla has stopped supplying it to distributors Wasim Syed 40 whose fatherinlaw was admitted to Prince Aly Khan Hospital on August 13 said We looked for the drug at Masina Hospital pharmacies in Bhiwandi and even in Pune but could not find it The doctor then started a different line of treatment and his condition is better now Hospitals should prescribe medicines that are available Why cause panic when they know we wont find itLast month Roche the company manufacturing Tocilizumab had said that their trial didnt find the drug to be effective when used on COVID19 patients After that Cipla stopped supplying it to distributorsFresh stock expectedHukumraj Mehta president of Maharashtra State Chemist and Drug Association said that a fresh stock of Tocilizumab was expected next week The shortage has been affecting the entire country for the past two weeks since Cipla is the only supplier I have been told that Cipla is currently out of stock and a fresh batch is expected on August 24 after which we will get the supply he saidRs 60007000Cost of a single vial of ItolizumabRs 40000Cost of a single vial of Tocilizumab200No of patients at Nair hospital who has been given ItolizumabKeep scrolling to read more newsCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news