Real-Life Advantages and Limits of Baricitinib for the Late Treatment of Adults Hospitalized with COVID-19

Abstract

Baricitinib, a reversible Janus-associated kinase-inhibitor, is approved for treating COVID-19, combined with Dexamethasone and, eventually, with Remdesivir (RDV). This retrospective cohort study assesses the real-life advantages and limits of Baricitinib in the current pandemic scenario. Data of all patients consecutively hospitalized with moderate/severe COVID-19 between 1 October 2021 and 31 March 2022 were retrospectively collected and described according to the treatment received (Baricitinib, Baricitinib + RDV, none). We performed survival analyses to estimate the 21-day probability of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission, death, and composite. We built multivariate Cox regression models to identify ICU admission/death predictors among patients’ features. Of 111 subjects, 28 received Baricitinib, 21 received Baricitinib + RDV, and 62 could not be treated due to pre-existing conditions. Treated patients had a comparable risk of death (HR 0.50, 95% C.I. 0.20–1.26, p = 0.14) but remarkably lower risk of 21-day ICU admission (H.R., 0.10, 95% C.I., 0.01–0.86, p = 0.03), regardless of the type of treatment received. At multivariable analysis, older age was the only predictor of ICU admission/death (HR 1.14, 95% C.I. 1.03–1.26, p ≤ 0.01).Although effective, the high prevalence of elderly, co-morbid patients limits Baricitinib use in the current pandemic setting.