Oxford’s RECOVERY trial shows baricitinib reduces COVID-19 deaths
Baricitinib, an anti-inflammatory rheumatoid arthritis drug, cuts deaths in hospitalised COVID-19 patients by around one-fifth, the NIHR-supported RECOVERY trial has found.
The study - trialling treatments in hospitalised COVID-19 patients since March 2020 - enrolled more than 8,000 patients who got the drug or usual care.
It found 513 in the baricitinib group died within 28 days compared with 546 in the usual care group, a reduction of 13%.
The trial has previously found anti-inflammatory treatments dexamethasone and tocilizumab, cut deaths. More than 47,000 have taken part in the UK, including more than 3,000 in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes and Oxfordshire.
Professor Nick Lemoine, Medical Director of the NIHR Clinical Research Network, said: “The incredible contribution of all those involved in the NIHR-supported RECOVERY trial has led to the discovery of a further life-saving treatment against COVID-19.
“We’re particularly grateful to the 47,000 RECOVERY participants who have taken part in the study so far - without whom these game-changing discoveries would not be possible.”
Sir Martin Landray, University of Oxford Professor and Joint Chief Investigator for RECOVERY, said: “It is now well established that in people admitted to hospital because of severe COVID-19, an over-active immune response is a key driver of lung damage.
“Today’s results not only show that treatment with baricitinib improves the chances of survival for patients with severe COVID- 19, but that this benefit is additional to that from other treatments that dampen down the over-active immune response, such as dexamethasone and tocilizumab. This opens up the possibility of using combinations of anti-inflammatory drugs to further drive down the risk of death for some of the sickest patients.”
Read more on the NIHR website.
