Baricitinib: New Drug Effective Against Cytokine Storm In COVID-19

A clinical study conducted in Spain & Italy shows that baricitinib may enhance the chances of survival in COVID-19 patients.

Baricitinib (a drug approved for the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis) inhibits cytokine release & hence is used in the management of cytokine storm in COVID-19.

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‘Baricitinib, the rheumatoid arthritis drug has shown good clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients’
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The drug showed a notable effect in the Spanish treatment cohort, consisting of geriatric patients over the age of 70 yrs. The study showed that this drug could address high rates of COVID-19 morbidity & mortality.

In vitro experiments of the liver cell spheroids showed the drug may also restrain the abnormal increased expression of the ACE 2 receptor that is required for the entry of the SARS-CoV 2 virus in these cells.

This helps in reducing the viral infection of the liver and other likely organs or tissues that normally do not express high levels of the ACE 2 receptor.

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Using AI analysis, it was previously identified baricitinib can be effective for the treatment of COVID 19.

Baricitinib reduces the levels of the pro inflammatory cytokine IL-6 in Rheumatoid arthritis patients. IL 6 plays an important role in COVID 19 cytokine storm. IL-6 has been reported to correlate with symptom severity in patients with COVID-19.

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The patients who received baricitinib with an antiviral agent responded well to the therapy. There was an increased rate of mortality in some patients who did not receive baricitinib. The clinical studies are still in progress to study the efficacy of baricitinib.

Source-Medindia

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