Baricitinib plus dexamethasone compared to dexamethasone for the treatment of severe COVID-19 pneumonia: A retrospective analysis

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to analyze clinical outcomes from patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia that received either baricitinib plus dexamethasone or dexamethasone monotherapy. METHODOLOGY: We performed a retrospective comparative study. Data from hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia (saturation <93%, bilateral pulmonary infiltrates) that were treated with baricitinib plus dexamethasone or dexamethasone were collected. Our primary objective was to compare overall mortality and secondly to compare progression to mechanical ventilation and over infection rates. RESULTS: A total of 793 patients were assessed for inclusion criteria, 596 were excluded and 197 were analyzed for primary outcome: 123 in the baricitinib plus dexamethasone group and 74 in the dexamethasone monotherapy group. The mean age was 59.9 years (SD ± 14.5) and 62.1% (123/197) were male. 42.9% (85/197) of the cases required ICU admission and 25.8% (51/197) underwent invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). Overall thirty-day mortality was 27.9% (55/197); Mortality was significantly lower in the baricitinib plus dexamethasone group compared to the dexamethasone monotherapy group (20.3% vs 40.5%, P = <.05). There was no difference in hospital acquired infections between both groups. CONCLUSION: Thirty-day mortality was significantly lower in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia treated with baricitinib plus dexamethasone versus dexamethasone monotherapy. No difference was observed in progression to invasive mechanical ventilation and hospital acquired infections.