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More stocks of coveted Covid drug to be imported

19 Aug 2021

  • Tocilizumab used to treat severe patients
  • Talks with suppliers on 1,000 vials
  • Stock from manufacturer due in Sept.
  • Allegations drug is being sold at Rs. 500K
BY Pamodi Waravita The Government is in discussions with intermediate suppliers to acquire 1,000 vials of the highly sought-after tocilizumab drug, generally used for arthritis but now used for patients with severe Covid-19, while another stock of vials of the drug is expected directly from the manufacturer in September. These plans were disclosed to The Morning yesterday (18) by Secretary to the State Ministry of Production, Supply, and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals Dr. S.K. Rathnayake, responding to concerns about the shortage of this drug. “Only a small amount of this drug is usually produced in the world and we also receive a small quota of it. The quota we had received was about 400 vials. The private sector also depends on us, and recently, their needs have increased. We have given about 10 vials to the private sector now. The next order will come in September from Europe, directly from the manufacturing company. In the meantime, we are also trying to get 1,000 vials from intermediate suppliers,” he said. Earlier this week, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa raised concerns over the shortage of this drug in Parliament and in a tweet. In the tweet, he said that there is an “urgent need for the Government to ensure a steady supply of tocilizumab, a lifesaving medicine essential for Covid-19 patients who are in critical condition, as there is an extreme scarcity of it right now in the country”. Responding to Premadasa in the Parliament on 17 August, the State Minister of Production, Supply, and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals Prof. Channa Jayasumana said that there is a high demand around the world for the medicine and that only one in about 100 Covid-19 patients need it. He assured the House that the Government has ordered more stocks of it. Meanwhile, various social media reports claimed that this drug has also been sold to certain Covid-19 patients who need it in Sri Lanka at a cost between Rs. 400,000 and Rs. 500,000.


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