The Federal Health Ministry has recommended Baricitinib and Tofacitinib as alternative drugs to intravenous Actemra for the treatment of critically ill COVID-19 patients.
In a statement, the Health Ministry said that a shortage of Actemra has been reported all over the world including Pakistan and various public healthcare agencies have been prescribing alternatives to Actemra.
Speaking to a news channel, a spokesperson for the Health Ministry also expressed confidence in Baricitinib and Tofacitinib for the treatment of seriously ill Coronavirus patients.
Roche, the sponsor of Actemra, has also confirmed the shortage of medicine due to increased global demand in response to the Coronavirus pandemic.
The Swiss multinational healthcare company said that the shortage of intravenous Actemra across the world will continue for the next several weeks.
Actemra is an immunosuppressive drug that is used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, a severe form of arthritis in children.
In June this year, the US Food and Drug Authority (FDA) officially granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to Actemra. Since then, the worldwide stocks of the drug have been gradually decreasing as the Coronavirus pandemic rages on.
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