When the US FDA approved Olumiant (baricitinib) for RA, it insisted on a lower dose because of fears of blood clots. Now that an NIH trial has shown that the product plus Gilead’s Veklury (remdesivir) provided a statistically significant reduction in time to recovery versus remdesivir alone for hospitalized COVID patients, Olumaint may get an emergency use authorization from FDA to treat a condition that itself causes blood clots. That doesn't mean the black box is going away; it's just a reminder that there is as much magic and mystery to medicine sometimes as there is science. 

Olumiant (baricitinib) plus Gilead’s Veklury (remdesivir) provided a statistically significant reduction in time to recovery versus remdesivir alone for hospitalized patients in US NIAID’s ACTT-2 clinical trial. 

A new cheaper version of antiviral remdesivir has been launched locally by a Indian licensee, while Chinese vaccine developers push forward with broader trials of their candidates.