Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 29) — The country may soon receive a fresh supply of tocilizumab, a repurposed drug for COVID-19, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Friday.
“According doon sa supplier nila, nakausap natin dito, baka by second week of November magkaroon tayo ng stock so antayin natin,” Vergeire said in a media forum.
[Translation: According to the supplier whom we talked to, we can get a new stock by the second week of November.]
Last month, Vergeire said the lack of supply of tocilizumab, which is given to severely ill COVID-19 patients, may last for months.
Licensed medicines for other diseases like tocilizumab are currently being used off-label to treat COVID-19 in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Ronapreve is the first COVID-19 drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use in the country.
