Dilemma for doctors as Roche ’s Covid drug is ‘life-saver’ but too costly
In India, the drug sold under the brand name Actemra, is approved for the use in autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis and for six months treatment it costs Rs 2.5 lakh. For Covid-19 patients who are administered this drug, the cost is Rs 60,000 per dosage. (Source: The Economic Times)
Source: The Economic Times - May 19, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
COVID-19 news from Annals of Internal Medicine
(American College of Physicians) Tocilizumab for Hemophagocytic Syndrome in a Kidney Transplant Recipient with COVID-19. (Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases)
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - May 18, 2020 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news
Roche launches new blood gas digital solution designed to improve patient care
Basel, 15 May 2020 - Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) today announced the CE mark availability of Roche v-TAC, a new digital diagnostic solution that allows clinicians to obtain results for arterial blood gas values from patients with respiratory or metabolic abnormalities via a simpler, less invasive venous puncture through the use of a digital algorithm. Blood gas analysis is typically used in hospital point of care (POC) settings, where quick and accurate results are needed. This includes emergency rooms, intensive care units and operating rooms. The analysis provides clinicians with information about a patient ’s p...
Source: Roche Investor Update - May 15, 2020 Category: Pharmaceuticals Source Type: news
Roche launches new blood gas digital solution designed to improve patient care
Basel, 15 May 2020 - Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) today announced the CE mark availability of Roche v-TAC, a new digital diagnostic solution that allows clinicians to obtain results for arterial blood gas values from patients with respiratory or metabolic abnormalities via a simpler, less invasive venous puncture through the use of a digital algorithm. Blood gas analysis is typically used in hospital point of care (POC) settings, where quick and accurate results are needed. This includes emergency rooms, intensive care units and operating rooms. The analysis provides clinicians with information about a patient ’s p...
Source: Roche Media News - May 15, 2020 Category: Pharmaceuticals Source Type: news
Treating Covid-19: Clinical trials using arthritis drug get nod
“The CDSCO (Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation) has approved a vital randomised controlled trial on Covid-19 treatment with a biological called tocilizumab, in the first proposed multi-centre trial with the drug in India,” said Dr AS Soin, national lead investigator for the trial. (Source: The Economic Times Healthcare and Biotech News)
Source: The Economic Times Healthcare and Biotech News - May 11, 2020 Category: Pharmaceuticals Source Type: news
California doctor says arthritis drug improved coronavirus patients' symptoms within 72 hours
Dr Imran Sharief, a pulmonologist from Santa Ana California, gave tocilizumab, a drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, to severely ill coronavirus patients who were on ventilators. (Source: the Mail online | Health)
Source: the Mail online | Health - May 7, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Critically-ill coronavirus patient saved by quick-thinking doctor who gave him an arthritis drug
Dr Giorgio Gentile gave Leonard Whitehurst, being treated at Royal Cornwall Hospital, the drug tocilizumab as a last ditch attempt to save his life. He had heard promising results from early trials. (Source: the Mail online | Health)
Source: the Mail online | Health - May 4, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Yale Health System Keeps Updating Its COVID-19 Treatment Protocol Yale Health System Keeps Updating Its COVID-19 Treatment Protocol
Hydroxychloroquine is first-line, and tocilizumab second-line, for people with PCR – confirmed COVID-19. A multidisclipinary team is constantly monitoring the situation and making changes when needed.Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Pharmacist Headlines)
Source: Medscape Pharmacist Headlines - May 1, 2020 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Infectious Diseases News Source Type: news
Tocilizumab in Polyarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Tocilizumab in Polyarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Is tocilizumab a safe and effective treatment option for polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis?Rheumatology (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)
Source: Medscape Today Headlines - May 1, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Rheumatology Journal Article Source Type: news
Arthritis drug may prevent severely ill coronavirus patients from needing life support
A small French study has found that severely ill coronavirus patients given tocilizumab, a drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, were less likely to be put on life support and less likely to die. (Source: the Mail online | Health)
Source: the Mail online | Health - April 30, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Monoclonal antibody used for arthritis may help severe COVID-19, study suggests
Tocilizumab, a drug used to treat some forms of arthritis, might be an effective treatment for those with severe cases of COVID-19, according to the preliminary findings of a study. (Source: Health News - UPI.com)
Source: Health News - UPI.com - April 30, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Janssen Announces Submission of Two Applications to U.S. FDA Seeking Approval of SIMPONI ARIA ® (golimumab) for the Treatment of Polyarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis and Juvenile Psoriatic Arthritis
HORSHAM, PA, April 24, 2020 – The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson today announced the submission of two supplemental Biologics License Applications (sBLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking approval of SIMPONI ARIA® (golimumab) for the treatment of polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (pJIA) and juvenile psoriatic arthritis (jPsA), in patients two years of age and older in combination with methotrexate. If approved for these indications, SIMPONI ARIA would be the first anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha biologic agent administered by intravenous infusion available...
Source: Johnson and Johnson - April 24, 2020 Category: Pharmaceuticals Tags: Innovation Source Type: news
Hundreds of critically-ill coronavirus patients will be given an arthritis drug in RECOVERY trial
Tocilizumab, sold as Actemra, will be given to British patients, as part of the Recovery trial, whose lungs have become severely inflamed due to an immune overreaction caused by the virus. (Source: the Mail online | Health)
Source: the Mail online | Health - April 21, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Eli Lilly to begin testing of baricitinib in COVID-19 patients
Trial is testing if anti-inflammatory (AA) response in rheumatoid arthritis patients on baricitinib will benefit COVID-19 patients as there is anecdotal evidence of benefit with AA drugs like tocilizumab in patients who have severe immune response due to COVID-19. (Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH))
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - April 15, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Case Study Shows Efficacy from Tocilizumab in Patient With COVID-19, Myeloma
A case study of a patient in Wuhan, China demonstrated that tocilizumab may be an effective treatment for very ill patients with COVID-19 who also have multiple myeloma and other blood cancers. (Source: CancerNetwork)
Source: CancerNetwork - April 9, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Hannah Slater Source Type: news
