Tocilizumab is a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody IL-6 receptor inhibitor used to treat inflammatory and autoimmune conditions. It was first described in the literature in 2003 when Chugai, a subsidiary of Roche began developing IL-6 inhibiting monoclonal antibodies. Tocilizumab was granted FDA approval on 8 January 2010 to treat a number of inflammatory and autoimmune disorders, such as different types of arthritis and cytokine release syndrome. It was later approved by Health Canada on 30 April 2010. After being investigated to treat severely ill patients with COVID-19, tocilizumab was approved by the European Commission in December 2021 to treat COVID-19 in adults receiving systemic corticosteroids and supplemental oxygen or mechanical ventilation. Subsequently, it was granted approval by Health Canada and the FDA in October and December 2022, respectively. Tocilizumab-bavi, a biosimilar drug, was approved by the FDA in September 2023.
Tocilizumab is indicated to treat moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis, giant cell arteritis, systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease, polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis, systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and cytokine release syndrome.
Tocilizumab is also used to treat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in adults who are receiving systemic corticosteroids and require supplemental oxygen, mechanical ventilation, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).
The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun City, China
Shanghai Children's Medical Center; Renal rheumatology, Shanghai City, China
Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing City, China
Private Practice Els Van Essche, Bonheiden, Belgium
Rhumarc sciv sprl, Céroux-Mousty, Belgium
CHC MontLégia, Liege, Belgium
Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States
Princess Margaret Cancer Center, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Fabrizio Cantini, Prato, Tuscany, Italy
Hopital Claude Huriez; Internal Medicine, Lille, France
Hopital Emile Muller; Medecine Interne, Mulhouse, France
Hopital La Cavale Blanche; Rhumatologie, Brest, France
Uni of Chicago Medical Center; Room M454, Chicago, Illinois, United States
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
Peking University First Hospital, Beijing City, China
The First Affilliated Hospital of Kunming Medical College, Kunming, China
University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States
Yale University, New Haven, New York, United States
University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
Praxis Prof. Dr.med. Herbert Kellner, München, Germany
Rheumazentrum Kupka, Altenburg, Germany
Praxis für Rheumatologie., Amberg, Germany
Policlinico Sant'Orsola Malpighi, Bologna, Italy
Azienda Consorziale Ospedaliera Policlinico, Bari, Italy
Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale - Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy
Stay informed with timely notifications on clinical trials, regulatory changes, and research advancements related to this medication.