posted on 04/03/2022 06:00

(credit: JOSEP LAGO)

An anti-inflammatory used to treat rheumatoid arthritis reduced the risk of death by 13% in hospitalized patients with the severe form of covid-19. The encouraging result was observed by British researchers in yet another development of the Recovery study, a scientific initiative that has already identified three other drugs as effective weapons in the fight against the new coronavirus. The most recent data obtained by the group was presented on the MedRxiv online research platform and has not yet been peer-reviewed.

The investigation took place between February and December 2021 and involved more than 8,000 people infected with Sars-CoV-2. They were divided into two groups: 4,008 received standard treatment for covid-19 and 4,148 received the same basic care combined with the drug baricitinib. The experiment lasted up to 10 days.

The analyzes of the two groups resulted in promising data in the members of the group that received the anti-inflammatory: a 13% reduction in the risk of death, in addition to a greater propensity to be discharged within 28 days and less need to use artificial respirators during hospitalization. According to the authors of the article, there was no detection of a higher risk of developing other infections or thrombosis (blood clotting complications) in these patients.

For the team, the results strengthen observations made in smaller trials with the same drug. Recovery is twice as many evaluated as eight studies that tested baricitinib and similar drugs (known as JAK inhibitors) for the treatment of the new coronavirus.

“This result confirms and extends previous findings, providing greater certainty that baricitinib is beneficial, and with it, we have important new data that can help us design the best type of treatment for our patients,” says Peter in a statement. Horby, a professor at the University of Oxford and one of the authors of the study.

For the scientist, the anti-inflammatory can be used with other drugs that have already shown promise. In January, considering preliminary test results, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended the use of baricitinib.

For those responsible for the research, the greatest advantage of the tested drug is its low cost. Experts estimate that the use of baricitinib can cost around 300 euros (R$ 1,600) per patient, when it is incorporated into the cocktail of drugs already used to combat severe covid-19. “As always, we are also challenged to ensure that this and other treatments for the novel coronavirus are available and affordable for everyone to benefit from,” emphasizes Horby.

other three

Baricitinib is the fourth treatment tested by British researchers that has shown high potential in combating Sars-CoV-2. In June 2020, experts announced that the anti-inflammatory dexamethasone reduces the risk of death in the most severely ill patients by a third. In February 2021, Recovery showed that mortality from covid-19 dropped to 50% with the use of tocilizumab, a drug also developed to treat rheumatoid arthritis, in conjunction with dexamethasone.

The third treatment with good results is Ronapreve, a cocktail of antibodies created by the American company Regeneron, effective only for the most severe cases of the infection. “Together, these treatments are reducing patients’ risk of death by more than half, and we believe we can reach an even greater mark,” says Martin Landray, an epidemiologist at the University of Oxford.