WHO recommends Eli Lilly, GSK-Vir's drugs, widening COVID treatment

Baricitinib improves survival rate and reduces the need for ventilation, guidelines say

An Eli Lilly pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Branchburg, New Jersey. The French medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said baricitinib can be a potential alternative to scarce monoclonal antibody treatments. © Reuters

January 14, 2022 08:49 JST

A World Health Organization (WHO) panel recommended use of two drugs by Eli Lilly, and GlaxoSmithKline and Vir Biotechnology for COVID-19 patients, adding treatment options as the fast-spreading Omicron variant renders many ineffective.

WHO data shows Omicron, which is evading protection provided by many vaccines and therapies, has been identified in 149 countries. It is quickly replacing Delta as the dominant variant in several nations, forcing governments and scientists to bolster defences with testing, shots and therapies.