5. Olumiant, a rheumatoid arthritis drug, shows COVID-19 promise
Winning an EUA for COVID-19 patients, Olumiant is primarily indicated for adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis. Image courtesy of Eli Lilly.
Developer: Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY)
Description: Olumiant (baricitinib), an anti-inflammatory medication, effectively reduces lung inflammation in COVID-19 patients when administered early after infection, according to a peer-reviewed study. FDA approved the Janus kinase inhibitor in 2018 for patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis.
The EUA for the product describes its use in “adult and pediatric patients 2 years and older with severe COVID-19 in combination with remdesivir.”
Development status: The product won emergency use in Nov. 2020. Lilly initially filed for an EUA to use Olumiant as a monotherapy but revised its application to use the drug with remdesivir.
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