(Reuters) – 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.
In a clinical trial of hospitalized patients with COVID-19, baricitinib along with remdesivir was shown to reduce time to recovery to within 29 days after starting treatment compared to patients who received a placebo with remdesivir.
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.
(Reporting by Mrinalika Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur)
