tocilizumab

noun

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

Definition of tocilizumab

: 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

History and Etymology for tocilizumab

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.

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