Indian pharmaceutical company Hetero Drugs has received emergency use approval from the country's health authorities to make a generic version of Swiss healthcare company Roche Holding AG's (SWX:ROG.S) COVID-19 drug, tocilizumab, Reuters news agency reported on Monday.

Hetero expects to make tocilizumab available in India by the end of the month under the brand name Tocira.

It will reportedly be made by Hetero's unit at its Hyderabad facility.

Roche's arthritis drug, tocilizumab, cuts the risk of death among patients hospitalised with severe COVID-19 along with shortening the recovery time and reducing the need for mechanical ventilation.