Novartis AG is to launch a Phase III trial of Jakavi (ruxolitinib) to treat cytokine storm, the severe immune overreaction seen in some COVID-19 patients that can lead to life-threatening respiratory complications.
The company will work with Incyte, its Jakavi development and marketing partner, and says the decision to start the full-scale trial is based on promising signals from pre-clinical evidence and preliminary reports
The hope is that Jakavi could lead to faster recovery times, with fewer COVID-19 patients needing intensive care and mechanical ventilation