A clinical trial analyzing data from patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at University of Texas Health San Antonio and University Health demonstrated that the combination treatment of baricitinib and remdesivir was able to reduce patients’ recovery time, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

During the Adaptive COVID-19 Treatment Trial (ACTT) 2, researchers assessed the response of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 to the combination treatment of baricitinib and remdesivir compared with remdesivir and an inactive placebo.

When given the combination treatment, patients on high oxygen by nasal canula or wearing a mask for breathing assistance when enrolled in the study had a recovery time of 10 days, whereas patients on remdesivir and the placebo had a recovery time of 18 days.

Significantly, the researchers also observed a difference in patient survival rates among the different treatment groups. In the combination treatment group, the 28-day death rate was 5.1%, whereas the rate was 7.8% in the remdesivir and placebo group. ...