On 11 May 2021, Dr. Reddy’s Lab announced that it has entered into a non-exclusive, royalty-free, voluntary licensing agreement with Eli Lilly and Company for manufacturing and commercializing baricitinib (anti-rheumatoid arthritis drug) in India.

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) has given restricted emergency use approval to baricitinib plus remdesivir to manage suspected or lab-confirmed coronavirus infection in hospitalized people who need invasive mechanical ventilation, supplemental oxygen, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

In a clinical trial, the combination of baricitinib and remdesivir also demonstrated superiority to remdesivir alone in minimizing recovery time and accelerating improvement in clinical status in coronavirus-infected people, notably among those receiving noninvasive ventilation or high-flow oxygen.

The partnership will raise the availability of baricitinib in India and comes at a crucial time in the fight against second wave of deadly pandemic. It will add up to the company’s existing range of therapies covering the entire spectrum of severe, moderate and mild conditions of the coronavirus infection, and a vaccine. It  will be a boon for the country amid the paucity of oxygen supplies.