What is Baricitinib? All you need to know about new Covid-19 drug

After Cipla Ltd, Dr Reddy's Laboratories has announced signing a licensing pact with Eli Lilly and Company to produce Baricitinib in India for Covid-19 treatment on May 11. The agreement comes in at a time when the country is battling the second wave while facing a shortage of drugs to treat the infected.

What is Baricitinib?

Baricitinib is primarily used for treating rheumatoid arthritis. It is a type of drug which is called Janus kinase JAK inhibitor. The drug blocks the action of Janus kinase enzymes, which causes inflammation leading to the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

Baricitinib helps in reducing pain, stiffness and swelling in the joints.

How is Baricitinib used in Covid-19 patients?

A study by New England Journal of Medicine claims that the anti-inflammatory drug Baricitinib and the antiviral drug Remdesivir's combination has helped people recover sooner from Covid-19.

The study found that the combination of the two drugs reduced the recovery time of the patients by at least a day. On the other side, the recovery time came down to 10 days from 18 days for patients who needed high-flow oxygen or non-invasive ventilation.

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Health Ministry's Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has given Baricitinib restricted emergency use approval in India. The drug is to be used in combination with Remdesivir for treating hospitalised Covid-19 adult patients who require oxygen.

In October 2020, Elli Lilly and company had stated that “Baricitinib in combination with Remdesivir reduced time to recovery and improved clinical outcomes for patients with Covid-19 infection compared with Remdesivir.” The company claims that most benefits of the drug are observed in patients who required supplemental oxygen and high-flow oxygen/non-invasive ventilation at baseline.