Is tocilizumab included in medical insurance?

The original drug tocilizumab entered the Class B medical insurance category after being approved by the State Food and Drug Administration in China. Due to its short time on the market, the second-line treatment for systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis is still limited to rheumatoid arthritis. Patients whose disease activity has decreased by less than 50% after 3-6 months of DMARDs treatment can purchase tocilizumab according to the doctor’s prescription information. The reimbursement ratio is different in different regions, and the price after reimbursement will be different.

Tocilizumab is a biologic drug approved for the treatment of adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (ra), adults with giant cell arteritis (GCA), and patients 2 years and older with polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (PJIA) or systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA). Tocilizumab blocks the inflammatory protein IL-6, which can improve joint pain and swelling caused by arthritis and other symptoms caused by inflammation. Tocilizumab can be administered by subcutaneous injection or intravenous infusion. When injected subcutaneously, it can be used weekly or every other week, and is usually given into the skin of the abdomen or thighs. When administered as an infusion, administer every 4 weeks. This must be done in a medical setting.

Tocilizumab injection can only be used according to the doctor's advice. The price on the domestic market is around RMB 8,600, which is relatively expensive. The price of the European version of tocilizumab original drug available overseas is around around RMB 14,000 (the price may fluctuate due to the exchange rate). The ingredients and efficacy of the two drugs are basically the same. Currently, there are no generic drugs produced and marketed overseas, and patients can choose by themselves.