Tocilizumab 162mg/0.9ml solution for injection pre-filled syringes
Requires a prescription from a doctor or prescriber
Official documents, adverse reaction reporting, and safety monitoring
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Official medicine documents
Safety monitoring data
Yellow Card reports
The MHRA Yellow Card scheme collects reports of suspected side effects from healthcare professionals and patients. View the Drug Analysis Profile (iDAP) for real-world adverse reaction data.
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Tocilizumab
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Report a side effect
Submit a Yellow Card report to the MHRA
Data from the MHRA Yellow Card scheme. A reported reaction does not necessarily mean the medicine caused it. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
EudraVigilance
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) collects suspected adverse reaction reports from across the EU/EEA through the EudraVigilance system. Search for safety data on this medicine.
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Tocilizumab
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EudraVigilance data is published by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). A suspected adverse reaction is not necessarily caused by the medicine.
3 branded products available
MHRA licensed products
View all licensed products for Tocilizumab on the MHRA register
Avtozma 162mg/0.9ml solution for injection pre-filled syringes
RoActemra 162mg/0.9ml solution for injection pre-filled syringes
Tyenne 162mg/0.9ml solution for injection pre-filled syringes
WHO defined daily dose (DDD)
20 mg
Not a recommended dose. The DDD is the assumed average maintenance dose per day for a drug used for its main indication in adults. It is a statistical measure used for research and comparison purposes only.
Source: WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology, distributed via the NHS dm+d supplementary BNF/ATC mapping files (NHSBSA). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Therapeutically similar medicines
Similarity is based on WHO Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification and on a factual NHS dm+d therapeutic-grouping code prefix. Source data: NHS dm+d via TRUD (OGL v3.0), WHO ATC/DDD Index.
NHS prescribing volume and spending trends
Guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
NICE clinical guidance(13)
Tocilizumab for treating giant cell arteritis (TA518)
Tocilizumab for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (TA247)
Tocilizumab for the treatment of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (TA238)
Abatacept, adalimumab, etanercept and tocilizumab for treating juvenile idiopathic arthritis (TA373)
Nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir and tocilizumab for treating COVID-19 (TA878)
Adalimumab, etanercept, infliximab, certolizumab pegol, golimumab, tocilizumab and abatacept for rheumatoid arthritis not previously treated with DMARDs or after conventional DMARDs only have failed (TA375)
Tofacitinib for treating juvenile idiopathic arthritis (TA735)
Anakinra for treating Still's disease (TA685)
Upadacitinib for treating severe rheumatoid arthritis (TA665)
Sarilumab for moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (TA485)
COVID-19 rapid guideline: managing COVID-19 (NG191)
Tofacitinib for moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (TA480)
Baricitinib for moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (TA466)
Source: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Check stock at pharmacies and supply information
Pharmacy stock checkers
Search for this medicine at major UK pharmacy chains. These links open the retailer's own website — results depend on their current online catalogue.
Supply & safety information
Official UK regulator monitoring and safety alerts
Pharmacy links redirect to the retailer's own search and do not represent real-time stock levels. Shortage and safety information sourced from MHRA drug safety updates (gov.uk, Crown Copyright under OGL v3.0).
Codes for healthcare professionals and prescribing systems
These codes are used by healthcare IT systems and prescribers to identify this medicine.
NHS UK identifiers
Browse tools
SNOMED CT and dm+d codes from NHS TRUD (Technology Reference data Update Distribution), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. BNF code shown is the factual mapping value distributed by NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) in the dm+d supplementary file under OGL v3.0; it is not affiliated with, nor licensed from, the publishers of the British National Formulary. ATC codes from the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology (whocc.no).
Active and completed clinical studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Data accessed via ClinicalTrials.gov API v2. Trial information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Academic studies and reviews for this medicine's active substance
Showing the 50 most relevant studies.
Reviews & meta-analyses: 21 · Randomised trials: 29 · 2006–2023
Showing the 50 most relevant studies, sorted by most relevant.
Imad M. Tleyjeh, Zakariya Kashour, Moussab Damlaj, et al.
Clinical Microbiology and Infection, 2020
- COVID-19 Drug Treatment
- Cytokine Release Syndrome
- COVID-19
Shao‐Huan Lan, Chih‐Cheng Lai, Hui-Ting Huang, et al.
International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents, 2020
- Betacoronavirus
- Cytokine Release Syndrome
- COVID-19
Saeed K Alzghari, Valerie S. Acuña
Journal of Clinical Virology, 2020
- Betacoronavirus
- Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
- COVID-19
Andrea Cortegiani, Mariachiara Ippolito, Massimiliano Greco, et al.
Pulmonology, 2020
- COVID-19 Drug Treatment
- SARS-CoV-2
- Interleukin-6 Inhibitors
Lynda J. Campbell, Chen Chen, Sanjeev Bhagat, et al.
Lara D. Veeken, 2010
- Arthritis, Rheumatoid
- Methotrexate
- Antirheumatic Agents
Obbina Abani, Ali Abbas, Fatima Abbas, et al.
The Lancet, 2021
- COVID-19 Drug Treatment
- COVID-19
- SARS-CoV-2
Dinesh Khanna, Celia J. F. Lin, Daniel E. Furst, et al.
The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, 2020
- Scleroderma, Systemic
- Vital Capacity
- Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
Viviane Cordeiro Veiga, João Antônio Gonçalves Garreta Prats, Danielle Leão Cordeiro de Farias, et al.
BMJ, 2021
- COVID-19 Drug Treatment
- COVID-19
- Anti-Inflammatory Agents
RECOVERY Collaborative Group, Peter Horby, Guilherme Pessoa-Amorim, et al.
medRxiv, 2021
Frances Humby, Patrick Durez, Maya H Buch, et al.
The Lancet, 2021
- Rituximab
- Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological
- Arthritis, Rheumatoid
Sources: aggregated from Europe PMC (EMBL-EBI), OpenAlex, Crossref, PubMed and other open scholarly databases. Retracted articles are excluded. Study information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Pharmacology and chemical data from DrugBank
Key facts
Drug status
Approved
Major interactions
None known
Half-life
21.5 days
Mechanism
Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine produced by cells including…
Food interactions
None known
Human targets
2 targets
Data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Pharmacokinetics at a glance
Absorption
162mg
Half-life
21.5 days
[L12789]
The terminal half life in rheumatoid arthritis patients is 21.5…
Protein binding
[L12789]
Volume of distribution
3.5L
Metabolism
[A19126]
Elimination
[A19126][L12789]
Clearance
12.5mL
Pharmacokinetic data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
[L12789][L43697][L48385]
Tocilizumab is also used to treat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in adults who are receiving systemic corticosteroids and require supplemental oxygen, mechanical ventilation, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).
[L40169][L43697][L44483]
Known interactions with other medications. Always consult a healthcare professional.
Showing 50 of 1395 interactions
[L12789]
Patients experiencing an overdose may develop neutropenia.
[L12789]
In case of overdose, monitor patients for signs of adverse reactions and provide symptomatic and supportive treatment.
[L12789]
How the body processes this drug — absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination
[A193293]
A 162mg subcutaneous dose given every 2 weeks has a Cmax of 13±8.3µg/mL and an AUC of 3460±2530µg\*h/mL.
[A193293]
A 162mg subcutaneous dose given every 4 weeks has a Cmax of 154±42µg/mL and an AUC of 39216±14304µg\*h/mL.
[A193293]
[L12789]
The terminal half life in rheumatoid arthritis patients is 21.5 days.
[L12789]
The absorption half life in rheumatoid arthritis and giant cell arteritis patients was 4 days, and in polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients and systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients was 2 days.
[L12789]
[L12789]
[L12789]
In giant cell arteritis patients, the central volume of distribution is 4.09L, the peripheral volume of distribution if 3.37L, and the volume of distribution at steady state is 7.46L.
[L12789]
In pediatric patients with polyarticular juvenile arthritis, the central volume of distribution is 1.98L, the peripheral volume of distribution is 2.1L, and the volume of distribution at steady state is 4.08L.
[L12789]
In pediatric patients with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, the central volume of distribution is 1.87L, the peripheral volume of distribution is 2.14L, and the volume of distribution at steady state is 4.01L.
[L12789]
[A19126]
[A19126][L12789]
[L12789]
Clearance is dose dependent and changes from non linear at low doses to linear at higher doses.
[L12789]
Proteins and enzymes this drug interacts with in the body
PMID:28265003
Signal activation necessitate an association with IL6ST. Activation leads to the regulation of the immune response, acute-phase reactions and hematopoiesis .
PMID:30995492 PMID:31235509
The interaction with membrane-bound IL6R and IL6ST stimulates 'classic signaling', the restricted expression of the IL6R limits classic IL6 signaling to only a few tissues such as the liver and some cells of the immune system.
Whereas the binding of IL6 and soluble IL6R to IL6ST stimulates 'trans-signaling'. Alternatively, 'cluster signaling' occurs when membrane-bound IL6:IL6R complexes on transmitter cells activate IL6ST receptors on neighboring receiver cells (Probable)
PMID:2261637
The receptor systems for IL6, LIF, OSM, CNTF, IL11, CTF1 and BSF3 can utilize IL6ST for initiating signal transmission. Binding of IL6 to IL6R induces IL6ST homodimerization and formation of a high-affinity receptor complex, which activates the intracellular JAK-MAPK and JAK-STAT3 signaling pathways .
PMID:19915009 PMID:2261637 PMID:23294003
That causes phosphorylation of IL6ST tyrosine residues which in turn activates STAT3 .
PMID:19915009 PMID:23294003 PMID:25731159
In parallel, the IL6 signaling pathway induces the expression of two cytokine receptor signaling inhibitors, SOCS1 and SOCS3, which inhibit JAK and terminate the activity of the IL6 signaling pathway as a negative feedback loop (By similarity). Also activates the yes-associated protein 1 (YAP) and NOTCH pathways to control inflammation-induced epithelial regeneration, independently of STAT3 (By similarity).
Acts as a receptor for the neuroprotective peptide humanin as part of a complex with IL27RA/WSX1 and CNTFR .
PMID:19386761
Mediates signals which regulate immune response, hematopoiesis, pain control and bone metabolism (By similarity). Has a role in embryonic development (By similarity). Essential for survival of motor and sensory neurons and for differentiation of astrocytes (By similarity).
Required for expression of TRPA1 in nociceptive neurons (By similarity). Required for the maintenance of PTH1R expression in the osteoblast lineage and for the stimulation of PTH-induced osteoblast differentiation (By similarity). Required for normal trabecular bone mass and cortical bone composition (By similarity)
Enzymes involved in drug metabolism — important for understanding drug interactions
ATC L04AC07
Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
Show
Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
Linked compound data from DrugBank Open Data (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Tocilizumab
Additional database identifiers
Drugs Product Database (DPD)
20590
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:6019
GenAtlas
IL6R
GeneCards
IL6R
GenBank Gene Database
X12830
Guide to Pharmacology
1708
UniProt Accession
IL6RA_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:6021
GeneCards
IL6ST
Guide to Pharmacology
2317
UniProt Accession
IL6RB_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:2637
GenAtlas
CYP3A4
GeneCards
CYP3A4
GenBank Gene Database
M18907
Guide to Pharmacology
1337
UniProt Accession
CP3A4_HUMAN
DrugBank citations
If you use DrugBank data in your research, please cite the following publications:
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Structured knowledge from the free knowledge base
ATC classifications (Wikidata)
Linked open data from Wikidata (Q425154), a free and open knowledge base operated by the Wikimedia Foundation. Data is available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication. WHO INN from the World Health Organization.