RE: Big market13 May 2020 00:21
Incyte and Eli Lilly may have JAK inhibitor mechanistic edge over Pfizer for COVID-19 while Theravance may be limited by nebulised approachInterest in a class of drugs called JAK inhibitors to manage COVID-19 is building, and with three such therapies already approved for other diseases, the race to repurpose these treatments has kicked off. Incyte’s Jakafi and Eli Lilly’s Olumiant may have mechanism edge over Pfizer’s Xeljanz, according to reporting by Reynald Castañeda, Pharma Writer for the Investigative News team at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. Meanwhile, a fourth candidate – Theravance Biopharma’s TD-0903, which is not yet approved – is also in the fray and stands out for its inhaled mode of administration but its efficacy value is nebulous so far.
Castañeda comments: “JAK inhibitors have grabbed the world’s attention given clinical experience showing that the hyperinflammatory process called cytokine storm syndrome, commonly seen in COVID-19 patients, is a turning point in disease severity. Interviewed experts noted that JAK 1/2 inhibitors such as Jakafi and Olumiant may have a clearer link to downregulating interleukin (IL)-6 to ease the cytokine storm compared to JAK 1/3 inhibitors like Xeljanz.”
Pfizer in the market for our JAK?