Itolizumab: 5 things to know about the new Covid-19 drug

Team Udayavani, Jul 20, 2020, 5:14 PM IST

Itolizumab, a drug manufactured by Indian company Biocon, has been approved by the Drug Controller General of India. The drug was previously used to treat  psoriasis and was launched in 2013

The trials for Itolizumab were conducted at multiple hospitals, reportedly in four centres in Delhi and Mumbai. It has proven to be an efficacious intervention in treating the serious hyperimmune response seen with Covid-19

Here are 5 things to know about Itolizumab

1.Itolizumab is used only for the treatment of patients with moderate to severe Covid-19 symptoms.

2.It is said that the use of this drug increases the oxygen level in the patient’s body and the inflammation decreases rapidly

3.Also, the drug controls the hyper-activation of the immune system in response to SARS-CoV-2 virus and prevents morbidity and mortality related to the cytokine storm

4.The cost of the each dose of this injection is Rs 7.95 and the requirement of the drug will be based on the severity.

5.Itolizumab will be manufactured and formulated as a 25 mg and 5 ml intravenous injection at Biocon’s bio-manufacturing facility at Biocon Park, Bengaluru.