Lahore: A panel of healthcare professionals in Punjab on approved the use of Actemra — a medication being used to treat serious COVID-19 patients — on a trial basis on Thursday, according to a news source. Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid led this panel; which included various university principals, medical superintendents, vice chancellors, and members of the Special Healthcare and Medical Education Department (SH & MED) in attendance.
Actemra, with the generic name of Tocilizumab, is an ‘interleukin-6 inhibitor’, i.e, an immuno-suppressant. However, medical professionals will only use it for serious patients, and it will only be distributed on a prescription basis.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended this drug, and the Punjab government is yet to formally approve it. The government will only approve it if pulmonologists report positive outcomes from its usage.
Rashid revealed that trials for Actemra were already underway, and officials would review the results before giving a formal go-ahead. She further clarified that the drug would not be approved without the permission of the Corona Experts Advisory Group (CEAG). In addition, the minister directed teaching hospitals to procure the drug, if needed, for research into methods to treat COVID-19 patients.
