The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval for Eli Lilly and Company and Incyte’s Olumiant (baricitinib) to treat Covid-19 in adult patients admitted to the hospital.

The treatment is indicated for patients who need supplemental oxygen, non-invasive or invasive mechanical ventilation, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).

Discovered by Incyte and licenced to Lilly, Olumiant is an oral inhibitor of Janus kinase (JAK).

The recommended dosage is 4mg of Olumiant once a day given for 14 days or until discharge from the hospital.

The latest approval is based on findings from two randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase III clinical trials, ACTT-2 and COV-BARRIER

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

In these trials, no new safety signals potentially linked to the usage of Olumiant were detected.

In November 2020, baricitinib received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for use in the US. 

This EUA is applicable for hospitalised paediatric patients aged between two years and 18 years who need varying levels of oxygen support. 

Furthermore, the labelling for the therapy approved by the US FDA includes a boxed warning on the risk of mortality, serious infections, malignancy, thrombosis and major adverse cardiovascular events. 

Lilly senior vice-president Patrik Jonsson said: “Nearly one million people with Covid-19 have been treated with Olumiant (baricitinib) in approximately 15 countries worldwide. 

“The full approval reflects both our confidence in Olumiant’s role in treating these hospitalised patients and Lilly’s tireless efforts to support the medical community and patients in the ongoing fight against Covid-19.”

In July last year, the FDA expanded the EUA for baricitinib to treat Covid-19 with or without remdesivir.