High Court Asks Centre To Meet Pharma Firm For Immediate Supply Of Tocilizumab Drug

COVID-19 India: Justice Prathiba M Singh said the officials of the ministry and the department shall hold a meeting with representatives of Roche India and its distributors here "to communicate and assess the demand for this drug in India".

In view of the "acute shortage" of Tocilizumab drug, which is prescribed to a large number of COVID-19 patients, the Delhi High Court has directed the Union Health Ministry and Department of Pharmaceuticals to hold a meeting with Roche India, which sells the drug in India, to esnure immediate supplies of the medicine. Justice Prathiba M Singh said the officials of the ministry and the department shall hold a meeting with representatives of Roche India and its distributors here "to communicate and assess the demand for this drug in India". "They shall also discuss the modalities for import and supply of the drug as per the expected demand and further logistics for placing orders for the same," the court said in its May 6 order. It passed the order after Roche told the court that it has no confirmed orders from the central government and was not aware of the actual demand in India.