Domestic price of tocilizumab

Tocilizumab The original drug has been launched in China and has been included in the medical insurance. Due to its short time on the market, the second-line treatment for systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis is still limited to rheumatoid arthritis. For patients whose disease activity has decreased by less than 50% after 3-6 months of DMARDs treatment, tocilizumab injection can only be used as directed by the doctor. Its price is around RMB 8,600, which is relatively expensive.

Tocilizumab is used to treat moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis in combination with methotrexate if other drugs such as disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and TNF blockers prove ineffective or are not tolerated. It may also be used as monotherapy in patients who are intolerant to methotrexate. The drug slows the progression of the disease and improves the patient's physical function. Children over 1 year old with active systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis if other treatments (anti-inflammatory drugs called NSAIDs and corticosteroids) are not effective enough , or children over 2 years old with juvenile idiopathic polyarthritis who are not well treated with methotrexate, may be treated with tocilizumab as directed by your doctor. In adults and children 2 years and older, it is used to treat severe or life-threatening cytokine release syndrome (CRS), a condition that causes nausea, vomiting, pain, and low blood pressure. CRS is a side effect of certain cancer treatments, and tocilizumab is used to treat CRS caused by a drug called a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell drug. Tocilizumab may also be used in adult patients with COVID-19 who are receiving oral or injectable corticosteroids and require additional oxygen or mechanical ventilation (assisted breathing through a machine).

The price of the European version of tocilizumab original drug sold 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.