Russia approves additional indication for olokizumab in COVID-19

The Russia Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation has approved pathogenetic therapy of cytokine release syndrome in patients with moderate to severe new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) as an additional indication to be included in the olokizumab  SmPC.

New coronavirus infection is characterized by systemic hyper-inflammation with elevated inflammatory cytokines, damaging the body’s own tissues and organs – a condition known as a “cytokine storm,” which has been recognized as a leading cause of severity COVID-19. Many clinical evidences have indicated the importance of anti-inflammatory immunomodulation therapy in severe COVID-19 with anti-interleukin (IL)-6 monoclonal antibodies.

Olokizumab is the first in Russia novel genetically engineered biological drug developed by R-Pharm and the first approved for rheumatoid arthritis monoclonal antibody for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with direct inhibition of interleukin-6 (IL-6) globally.