Baricitinib plus Remdesivir for Hospitalized Adults with Covid-19

N Engl J Med. 2021 Mar 4;384(9):795-807. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2031994. Epub 2020 Dec 11.

Abstract

Background: Severe coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is associated with dysregulated inflammation. The effects of combination treatment with baricitinib, a Janus kinase inhibitor, plus remdesivir are not known.

Methods: We conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial evaluating baricitinib plus remdesivir in hospitalized adults with Covid-19. All the patients received remdesivir (≤10 days) and either baricitinib (≤14 days) or placebo (control). The primary outcome was the time to recovery. The key secondary outcome was clinical status at day 15.

Results: A total of 1033 patients underwent randomization (with 515 assigned to combination treatment and 518 to control). Patients receiving baricitinib had a median time to recovery of 7 days (95% confidence interval [CI], 6 to 8), as compared with 8 days (95% CI, 7 to 9) with control (rate ratio for recovery, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.32; P = 0.03), and a 30% higher odds of improvement in clinical status at day 15 (odds ratio, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.0 to 1.6). Patients receiving high-flow oxygen or noninvasive ventilation at enrollment had a time to recovery of 10 days with combination treatment and 18 days with control (rate ratio for recovery, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.10 to 2.08). The 28-day mortality was 5.1% in the combination group and 7.8% in the control group (hazard ratio for death, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.39 to 1.09). Serious adverse events were less frequent in the combination group than in the control group (16.0% vs. 21.0%; difference, -5.0 percentage points; 95% CI, -9.8 to -0.3; P = 0.03), as were new infections (5.9% vs. 11.2%; difference, -5.3 percentage points; 95% CI, -8.7 to -1.9; P = 0.003).

Conclusions: Baricitinib plus remdesivir was superior to remdesivir alone in reducing recovery time and accelerating improvement in clinical status among patients with Covid-19, notably among those receiving high-flow oxygen or noninvasive ventilation. The combination was associated with fewer serious adverse events. (Funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04401579.).

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Multicenter Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenosine Monophosphate / adverse effects
  • Adenosine Monophosphate / analogs & derivatives*
  • Adenosine Monophosphate / therapeutic use
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Alanine / adverse effects
  • Alanine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Alanine / therapeutic use
  • Antiviral Agents / adverse effects
  • Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Azetidines / adverse effects
  • Azetidines / therapeutic use*
  • COVID-19 / mortality
  • COVID-19 / therapy
  • COVID-19 Drug Treatment*
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Female
  • Hospital Mortality
  • Hospitalization
  • Humans
  • Janus Kinase Inhibitors / adverse effects
  • Janus Kinase Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Oxygen Inhalation Therapy
  • Purines / adverse effects
  • Purines / therapeutic use*
  • Pyrazoles / adverse effects
  • Pyrazoles / therapeutic use*
  • Respiration, Artificial
  • Sulfonamides / adverse effects
  • Sulfonamides / therapeutic use*
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents
  • Azetidines
  • Janus Kinase Inhibitors
  • Purines
  • Pyrazoles
  • Sulfonamides
  • remdesivir
  • Adenosine Monophosphate
  • baricitinib
  • Alanine

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT04401579