Eli Lilly arthritis drug baricitinib in combination with remdesivir gets USFDA okay to treat Covid
New Delhi: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the emergency use of Eli Lilly and Co's arthritis drug, baricitinib, in combination with Gilead Sciences Inc's remdesivir, to treat COVID-19 patients.
Baricitinib, sold under the brand name of Olumiant, is an FDA-approved oral medication to treat moderately-to-severely active rheumatoid arthritis.
The approval was based on a review of the data from a clinical trial of hospitalized COVID-19 patients sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
The trial showed an approximately one-day reduction in median recovery time for patients treated with the combination versus those treated with remdesivir.
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The health regulator approved the drug in combination with remdesivir for treating suspected or laboratory confirmed COVID-19 in hospitalized adults and children two years of age or older requiring oxygen support.
