The Ministry of Health of Belarus has approved the use of the drugIlsira" (levilimab) for therapy of rheumatoid arthritis and severe covid-19 cytokine release syndrome produced by BIOCAD(which is a participant in the Made in Russia project), the company's press service reported.

"Levilimab was originally developed by Russian biotech company BIOCAD for the therapy of rheumatoid arthritis, but due to the ability of IL-6p inhibitors to arrest the cytokine storm that occurs in coronavirus infection, clinical studies of efficacy and safety were conducted to expand indications. As a result, in June 2020, levilimab became the first drug in the class of IL-6r inhibitors registered in Russia for the treatment of complicated course of covid-19," the press service said.

At least 300 million roubles were invested into the clinical development program. It took 10 years from the idea of creating the drug to its release.

As noted by the pharmaceutical company, the registration of levilimab in Belarus will open access to proactive therapy forlife-threatening conditions in patients with coronavirus as well as provide access to genetically engineered biological therapy designed, if administered in time, to halt the progression of rheumatoid arthritis and avoid invalidity.

Belarus became the first country outside Russia to register levilimab. Application for the registration of the drug was also submitted in Kazakhstan.

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