For critical COVID-19 cases, PGIMER seeks 'Tocilizumab' drug from wealthy patients

Naina Mishra
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, June 27

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As a life-saving measure, Post Graduate Insitute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), the institute, has been trying to replenish a highly costly drug, “Tocilizumab”, on critical COVID-19 patients.

The drug, ‘Tocilizumab’, was originally used for rheumatoid arthritis. It has emerged as an effective drug for COVID-19 patients across the globe.

Recently, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) revised its protocol for clinical management of COVID-19 infections and has allowed the usage of this drug on a selective set of patients.

While the drug has been showing signs of improvement, the doctor are facing challenges.

One of the biggest drawbacks is the price of the drug. A vial of 400 mg costs Rs 35,000.

In an attempt to provide the costly drug, PGIMER has started asking the patients from wealthy families to incur the cost of the drug.

However, since it is an optional exercise, no patients from well off families have volunteered for the cause.

Director of PGIMER, Dr Jagat Ram, said: “Though the treatment is free of cost, we have been asking patients, who can afford the cost of the drug to replenish it. While it is optional for the wealthy patients to do it, the poor patients have been receiving treatment of all costly drugs, here, at PGIMER.”

Dr Pankaj Malhotra, Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, PGIMER said: “In an experimental therapy by ICMR, the use of Tocilizumab has been suggested. We have been giving this drug to severally ill patients whose P/F ratio (defining criteria for acute respiratory failure) is below 200. It has been observed that this therapy is quite useful. We have decided to give this option to the patients from rich families to replenish the drug so that the institute does not face any shortage in the future.”

Dr Malhotra continued: “There have been problems in other cities as the drug is now black marketed and available at inflated prices like from Rs 75,000 to Rs 1,00,000. So far, no patient from a well off family has replenished the same”.

About Tocilizumab:

It calms the aberrant hyperimmune response called, cytokine storm, by acting against the inflammatory infection to fight infection.

The drug is originally used for rheumatoid arthritis.