The Chinese health authorities now recommend the use of Roche's drug for rheumatoid arthritis, Actemra, in the treatment of serious novel coronavirus patients, the media reported.
China's National Health Commission made the recommendation in the updated treatment guidelines for COVID - 19 released on Wednesday, pharma industry news site FiercePharma reported.
The decision was taken after seeing promising results in clinical practice.
The Swiss drugmaker donated nearly $2 million worth of Actemra to China, its local operations said in a blog post on Monday.
The donation was made last week after a scientist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences said that promising results had been observed in 14 serious and critically ill patients treated with existing medicines at a hospital affiliated with the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC).
As per the revelations made by USTC, the regimen includes Actemra.
A randomized clinical trial evaluating the drug's application has already been started there.
Actemra is known as an inhibitor of the receptor of interleukin 6 (IL - 6), a pro - inflammatory cytokine.