Baricitinib is an approved selective JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor that can potentially inhibit IL-6 as the primary driver of COVID-19-related cytokine storm syndrome. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of baricitinib therapy in COVID-19 patients. It was reported following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The search for eligible articles reporting the efficacy and safety of baricitinib on COVID-19 patients, published up to May 2021, was conducted using PubMed and Embase. The research protocol was registered at PROSPERO (CDR42021235282), and data were presented in a metasynthetic (descriptive) manner. Out of 878 identified articles, seven were eligible and consisted of three randomized clinical trials, one quasi-experimental study, two before-after (pre-post) studies, and one cross-sectional study. The articles suggested that baricitinib could improve the clinical conditions of COVID-19 patients indicated by negative PCR test results, improve breathing quality, and decrease: ICU requirements, length of hospital stay, as well as the risk of death. The trial studies showed that this inhibitor works better with a loading dose of 8 mg, continued with 4 mg daily. Baricitinib could also produce synergistic effects with standard therapy such as corticosteroid and remdesivir. Therefore, it is a promising candidate therapy for COVID-19 patients, but since the number and methodological quality of the studies are low, further and better research is needed to ascertain its potential use on COVID-19.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.