WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th November, 2020) A two-drug combination to treat COVID-19, in which an anti-arthritis drug is combined with the previously approved medication remdesivir, received emergency use authorization, the US food and Drug Administration (FDA) said in a press release.
"In a clinical trial of hospitalized patients with COVID-19, baricitinib, in combination with remdesivir, was shown to reduce time to recovery within 29 days after initiating treatment compared to patients who received a placebo with remdesivir," the release said on Thursday.
Baricitinib is a FDA approved oral medication to treat moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. The drug was not authorized as a stand-alone treatment for COVID-19, and the two-drug combination continues to be evaluated for safety and effectiveness, the release added.
Remdesivir is an FDA-approved intravenous antiviral drug for use in adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older and weighing at least about 88 Pounds to treat COVID-19 patients requiring hospitalization.
