KARACHI: Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has approved some drugs as the alternate to Tocilizumab sold under the brand name Actemra. They allowed health facilities to use them for critically ill Covid-19 patients.
The critically ill patients failed to get Actemra due to its shortage. Moreover, they were unable to buy it at ten folds higher rates from the black market. According to NHS, Tocilizumab in combination with dexamethasone had been effective at lowering mortality rate in those seriously ill patients whose lungs were deteriorating rapidly and needed oxygen through a high-flow device or noninvasive ventilation.
