{"id":404860,"date":"2022-02-12T01:17:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-11T22:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/who-prequalifies-arthritis-drug-for-severe-covid-cases\/"},"modified":"2022-02-12T01:17:00","modified_gmt":"2022-02-11T22:17:00","slug":"who-prequalifies-arthritis-drug-for-severe-covid-cases","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/who-prequalifies-arthritis-drug-for-severe-covid-cases\/","title":{"rendered":"#WHO prequalifies arthritis drug for severe COVID cases"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#WHO prequalifies arthritis drug for severe COVID cases<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

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\n \"COVID-19,
\n SARS-CoV-2 (shown here in an electron microscopy image). Credit: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH
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The World Health Organization said Friday that it had prequalified the arthritis treatment tocilizumab for use in patients hospitalised with severe COVID-19, in a bid to increase access to the pricey drug.\n <\/p>\n

The monoclonal antibody, used in anti-inflammatory drugs made by Swiss pharma giant Roche, has been shown to reduce the risk of death and also hospitalisation time in certain patients suffering from severe COVID.<\/p>\n

WHO has, like the United States and the European Union, already recommended its use to treat severe COVID in hospital settings.<\/p>\n

But it remains in short supply and is very expensive\u2014a single dose reportedly goes for up to $600 in lower-income countries, WHO said, adding though that its prequalification should help make it more accessible.<\/p>\n

The UN health agency said it had added three different compositions of the monoclonal antibody to its list of prequalified treatments for the pandemic disease, in a move aimed to spur more the production of more cheaper generic versions.<\/p>\n

“The listings should pave the way for more companies coming forward to seek WHO prequalification, thereby increasing the number of quality-assured products and creating competition leading to potentially lower prices,” WHO said in a statement.<\/p>\n

“The prequalification of these products will also facilitate low- and middle-income countries’ authorisation of them as COVID treatments,” it said.<\/p>\n

WHO told AFP its prequalification process was primarily aimed at ensuring the quality, safety and efficacy of medical products procured to developing countries.<\/p>\n

A prequalification provides assurances to countries that they are purchasing quality health products. <\/p>\n

Prior to tocilizumab, the WHO has prequalified three different compositions for the steroid dexamethasone for treating COVID, as well as Gilead’s antiviral remdesivir, although that prequalification has since been suspended.<\/p>\n

Tocilizumab has previously been authorised mostly for the treatment of arthritis in about 120 countries.<\/p>\n

But during the pandemic, it has also been shown to suppress a dangerous “cytokine storm”\u2014the over-reaction of the immune system to the coronavirus.<\/p>\n

WHO pointed out that the patent for tocilizumab had expired for most uses.<\/p>\n

This, it said, “means there should be no intellectual property barriers,” although it warned there was “low global availability for quality-assured biosimilars of the product”.<\/p>\n

WHO said it was currently discussing with Roche how to lower prices and improve access in low- and middle-income countries.<\/p>\n

But it stressed to AFP that while Friday’s prequalification was specifically for Roche products, “many generic companies are already producing tocilizumab, some of which have also app<\/a>lied for prequalification”.<\/p>\n

“If they are found to comply with WHO standard… they can enter international markets.”<\/p>\n

“In a sense, prequalification is also indirectly promoting quality local production, and ultimately greater supply and more competitive prices.”\n <\/p>\n\n

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WHO moves step closer to cheaper breast cancer treatment\n <\/p><\/div>\n

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\n \u00a9 2022 AFP<\/p>\n

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Citation<\/strong>:
\n WHO prequalifies arthritis drug for severe COVID cases (2022, February 11)
\n retrieved 11 February 2022
\n from https:\/\/medicalxpress.com\/news<\/a>\/2022-02-prequalifies-arthritis-drug-severe-covid.html<\/p>\n

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