Eli Lilly says baricitinib cuts COVID-19 recovery time if used with Gilead Inc’s remdesivir

Eli Lilly and Co (NYSE:LLY) said its baricitinib recovery time of COVID-19 patients if paired with Gilead Inc’s (NASDAQ:GILD) remdesivir. The pharma company conducted a trial on over 1,000 patients, which started in May. Baricitinib in combination with remdesivir reduced the recovery time by a day in comparison with remdesivir alone. Remdesivir was developed to treat Ebola but trials recently have shown it to be effective in people with severe conditions resulting from coronavirus, cutting the time they spend in intensive care and reducing the virus’s ability to reproduce. Based on results from this trial, Lilly plans to discuss the potential for emergency use authorisation with the US Food and Drug Administration and to explore similar measures with other regulatory agencies. If authorised for use, Lilly will propose that baricitinib be available through commercial channels and will work with hospitals and governments to ensure patient access. The drug is currently approved in more than 70 countries as a treatment for adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis.