Biocon ‘perplexed’ about Itolizumab not being in Covid protocol May 18, 2021 But will ramp up production, says Chief Medical Officer Sandeep Athalye Pharmaceuticals major Biocon is “perplexed and confused” that its drug, Itolizumab, does not yet figure in the ‘Clinical Management Protocol for Covid-19’ of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, despite proof of the drug’s efficacy. “But we are ramping up production anyway,” says Dr Sandeep Athalye, Chief Medical Officer, Biocon Biologics, “because the demand has suddenly spiked since April”. Novel antibody Itolizumab, a lab-made novel anti-CD6 antibody (monoclonal antibody, or mAb), was approved by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for ‘restricted emergency use’ to treat cytokine release syndrome (CRS) in patients experiencing moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to COVID-19. Since July last year it has been administered to thousands of patients.