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
Nathan Seppa
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