COVID-19 surge: Govt increases import of Tocilizumab injection amid high demand in country
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New Delhi: As many as 30,000 vials of Tocilizumab, a drug often prescribed by doctors to treat COVID-19 patients, were imported to India within 11 days by the Central government to cater to the increasing demand across the country due to rising cases.
Sources of the Union Chemical and Fertilisers Ministry told ANI that 30,000 vials were imported from April 30 to May 11.
Tocilizumab injection is manufactured by the Roche Company of Switzerland and imported and marketed by Cipla Ltd in India.
They also informed that Tocilizumab injection is primarily used for Rheumatoid Arthritis patients and the monthly import of this injection used to be around 1,700 vials and India is entirely dependent on imports for this drug.