Preparing to use tocilizumab biosimilar

Ensuring familiarity with the area

Pharmacy teams and individuals planning on using tocilizumab biosimilar should prepare themselves carefully. Make sure you are aware of, and where necessary read and understand, the following.

National guidelines

Ensure you are familiar with:

• Tocilizumab for the treatment of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (NICE TA238)
• Tocilizumab for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (NICE TA247)
• Abatacept, adalimumab, etanercept and tocilizumab for treating juvenile idiopathic arthritis (NICE TA373)
• Adalimumab, etanercept, infliximab, certolizumab pegol, golimumab, tocilizumab and abatacept for rheumatoid arthritis not previously treated with DMARDs or after conventional DMARDs only have failed (NICE TA375)
• Tocilizumab for treating giant cell arteritis (NICE TA518)
• Casirivimab plus imdevimab, nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir, sotrovimab and tocilizumab for treating COVID-19 (NICE TA878)

National commissioning policies

Ensure you are familiar with NHS England clinical commissioning policies:

• Tocilizumab for Takayasu Arteritis 
• Tocilizumab for the treatment of adult-onset Still’s disease refractory to second-line therapy 
• Biologic Therapies for the treatment of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis 

Product characteristics

There are two tocilizumab biosimilars available for use within the NHS. Ensure you are familiar with the Summary of Medicinal Product Characteristics:

• Avtozma, product information is available via EMC website
• Tyenne, product information is available via EMC website

Incoming changes with tocilizumab

Loss of market exclusivity for tocilizumab occurred in 2024 when Tyenne was launched. Avtozma (Celltrion) has now launched.

NHS Framework awards

The national tocilizumab contract is in place from 1 March 2026 to 31 August 2027. Both Tyenne and Avtozma have been awarded.

The Medicines Procurement and Supply Chain web catalogue provides information about the products that are available on NHS contracts in England. Further detail should be obtained from the relevant Regional Pharmacy Procurement Specialist team.

SPS resources on biosimilar background

SPS has produced materials to help understand the background to biological and biosimilar medicines as well as the evidence for tocilizumab biosimilar.

SPS resources on pipeline medicines

Be aware of information on pipeline tocilizumab biosimilars. Detail is available from:

• Our annual planning advice for new medicines (SPS page)

Patient information sheet

SPS has produced a patient information sheet that can be adapted for local use.

• Tocilizumab Biosimilar Patient Information SheetOpens in a new window · Word · 32 KB

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