NEW DELHI : Drugmaker Hetero on Monday said its generic version of Roche Holding AG’s tocilizumab, an immunosuppressant used to treat severe cases of covid-19, has been given emergency-use approval in India.
Hyderabad-based Hetero’s version of the drug will be available from September-end. “This approval is crucial for supply security in India, considering a global shortage of tocilizumab.
We will be working closely with the government to ensure equitable distribution," said Dr. B. Partha Saradhi Reddy, chairman, Hetero Group.
The drug was in short supply as infections and hospitalizations surged during the pandemic’s second wave, with patients having to pay multiples of the drug’s price to procure it.