The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the use of tocilizumab to treat hospitalized adults and children, aged 2 years and above, who are being given systemic corticosteroids and need supplemental oxygen, non-invasive or invasive mechanical ventilation, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). 

The drug is not authorized for use in outpatients. Clinical trials conducted among hospitalized COVID-19 patients revealed that the use of tocilizumab, along with routine care for treatment of COVID-19, including corticosteroid therapy, led to a reduction in the risk of death through 28 days of follow-up. It also reduced the duration of hospital stay. 

Tocilizumab is a monoclonal antibody that works by decreasing inflammation as it blocks interleukin-6 receptor… (FDA, June 24, 2021)