tocilizumab

noun

to·​ci·​liz·​u·​mab ˌtō-sə-ˈli-zü-ˌmab 

: an immunosuppressive drug that is a monoclonal antibody which binds to cell receptors and blocks the action of interleukin-6 and that is administered by injection to treat various inflammatory conditions (such as rheumatoid arthritis)

Tocilizumab specifically blocks the action of the inflammatory protein interleukin-6, which shows up in excessive amounts in joints of rheumatoid arthritis patients.

—Nathan Seppa

Examples of tocilizumab in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The drug tocilizumab is sold as Actemra and RoActemra for rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases. —Chronicle Staff, SFChronicle.com, 22 Sep. 2020

In fact, as of Monday, the FDA has launched Phase III trials of tocilizumab for treating COVID-19 pneumonia. —IEEE Spectrum, 25 Mar. 2020

Roche, which makes tocilizumab, did its own tests in COVID patients and reported that its drug was not helpful. —Gina Kolata, Star Tribune, 14 Nov. 2020

Those treated with tocilizumab were less likely to need mechanical ventilation by day 28 (12% vs. 19% when compared to standard care). —Verywell Health, 27 Jan. 2023

Word History

Etymology

tocili- (of undetermined origin) + -zu-, prefix denoting humanized antibodies (antibodies from non-human species with protein sequences modified to increase similarity to human antibodies) (probably from letters in humanize) + -mab, combining element denoting a monoclonal antibody

Note: According to the prescriptions of the U.S. Adopted Names Council, the initial element in generic drug names is to be meaningless.

First Known Use

2004, in the meaning defined above