Roche India has donated Rs 40+ crores worth of Tocilizumab (Brand: Actemra) to India. Fifty thousand vials of Tocilizumab (Brand: Actemra) 80 mg are being donated to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India to help patients during the pandemic. The supplies reached India on 11 May 2021 and will be handed over to the MohFW in the next few days.

“In these unparalleled times of crisis, Roche is doing everything we can to deliver life-saving medications to patients in India. We are hopeful that this donation will strengthen the nation’s ongoing efforts to fight the pandemic through enhanced access to Tocilizumab. We are extremely thankful to the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and Niti Aayog for their collaboration”, said V. Simpson Emmanuel, Managing Director, Roche Pharma India

Given the unprecedented demand for Tocilizumab, Roche is urgently working to increase manufacturing capacity and supply by ramping up its own production network, as well as actively collaborating with external partners to maximize production of Actemra wherever possible with the goal of increasing its availability.

"However, we are mindful that the current unprecedented demand may far exceed the supplies we can provide at this moment", Emmanuel added.