Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial Evaluating Baricitinib for Persistent Neurologic and Cardiopulmonary Symptoms of Long COVID

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying whether baricitinib, compared to a placebo, can improve brain function, physical health, quality of life, and symptoms related to Long COVID. The study focuses on adults with persistent neurological and cardiopulmonary symptoms lasting at least six months after COVID-19 infection. It aims to understand how this medication affects inflammation, viral markers, and various aspects of health impacted by Long COVID, a condition affecting millions worldwide with ongoing cognitive and physical challenges. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either baricitinib, a medication taken as a 4mg tablet once daily for 24 weeks, or a matching placebo capsule taken daily for the same duration. The trial includes careful monitoring through multiple assessments over a 12-month period. These assessments examine cognitive function, physical capacity, quality of life, breathlessness, symptom burden, mental health, and autonomic function at various intervals. The study uses a double-blind approach where neither participants nor researchers know who receives the medication or placebo. During the study, participants will undergo tests including cognitive evaluations, exercise tests like the 6-minute walk, questionnaires about symptoms and quality of life, and mental health assessments. Researchers will measure changes in global cognitive function at six months as the primary outcome, along with many secondary outcomes at different time points up to one year. Safety and symptom tracking will continue throughout the trial, which started in late 2024 and runs through mid-2027, allowing detailed observation of how baricitinib may affect Long COVID symptoms over time.

Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial EValuating Baricitinib on PERSistent NEurologic and Cardiopulmonary Symptoms of Long COVID