Baricitinib

What is this medication? Baricitinib is a prescription medicine classified as a Janus kinase or JAK inhibitor. It works by interfering with specific pathways in the immune system to reduce inflammation and pain. It is primarily used to treat adults with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis when other treatments like tumor necrosis factor blockers have not worked well or could not be tolerated. By reducing joint inflammation, the medication helps decrease pain, stiffness, and swelling while improving daily physical function for patients living with this chronic autoimmune condition.

Beyond its use for rheumatoid arthritis, baricitinib is also approved for the treatment of severe alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder that causes patchy or complete hair loss on the scalp and body. By targeting the immune response that attacks hair follicles, it can help patients regrow their hair. Additionally, the medication has been authorized for use in certain hospitalized adults with COVID-19 who require supplemental oxygen or mechanical ventilation. In these cases, it helps manage the overactive inflammatory response that can occur during a severe viral infection.