Baricitinib reduced deaths among patients with COVID-19

In this sub-study, patients with COVID-19 on mechanical ventilation or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) who received baricitinib plus standard of care were 46 percent less likely to die by Day 28 compared to patients who received placebo plus standard of care (nominal p-value=0.0296; hazard ratio [HR] [95% CI] = 0.54 [0.31, 0.96]; analysis not adjusted for multiplicity). The cumulative proportion of patients who died by Day 28 was 39.2 percent (n/N: 20/51) in the baricitinib arm versus 58 percent in the placebo arm (n/N: 29/50). Similar mortality benefit was observed by Day 60 (HR [96% CI] = 0.56 [0.33, 0.97]) with a cumulative proportion of death of 45.1 percent (n/N: 23/51) for baricitinib compared to 62.0 percent for placebo (n/N: 31/50). These findings are consistent with the reduction in mortality observed in the overall COV-BARRIER patient population.

By Day 28, the frequency of adverse events, serious adverse events and serious infections were similar in the baricitinib group (88%, 50% and 44%, respectively) compared to placebo (95.9%, 71.4% and 53.1%, respectively). Venous thromboembolic events were reported in 6 percent of patients treated with baricitinib and 6.1 percent of patients treated with placebo. No new safety signals were identified.

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On July 28, 2021, the FDA broadened the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for baricitinib to allow for treatment with or without remdesivir. The EUA provides for the use of baricitinib for treatment of COVID-19 in hospitalized adults and pediatric patients two years of age or older requiring supplemental oxygen, non-invasive or invasive mechanical ventilation or ECMO.