Eli Lilly and Company has announced new initiatives to help COVID-19 patients in India as part of its commitment to bring the full force of its scientific and medical expertise to attack the coronavirus pandemic around the world.

Lilly is offering donations of baricitinib to the Indian government through Direct Relief while simultaneously working with several local Indian pharmaceutical companies to execute royalty-free voluntary licensing agreements to accelerate the manufacturing and distribution of the medicine in India during the pandemic.

Lilly has received permission for restricted emergency use from Central Drugs Standard Control Organization, for baricitinib (2 mg and 4 mg) in combination with remdesivir, for treatment of suspected or laboratory confirmed COVID-19 in hospitalized adults requiring supplemental oxygen, invasive mechanical ventilation, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).

Baricitinib is an oral medication currently registered in India for the treatment of moderate to severe active rheumatoid arthritis in adult patients who have responded inadequately to, or who are intolerant to one or more disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs.