This clinical trial is an open-label trial of ruxolitinib for the treatment of severe COVID-19 to assess its efficacy and safety.~Ruxolitinib (INCB018424 phosphate, INC424, ruxolitinib phosphate) is a well established, potent and selective inhibitor of Janus kinase (JAK)1 and JAK2, with modest to marked selectivity against tyrosine kinase (TYK)2 and JAK3, respectively. Ruxolitinib interferes with the signaling of a number of cytokines and growth factors that are important for hematopoiesis and immune function.~Ruxolitinib (JAKAVI®) is currently approved in the European Union (EU) for the treatment of disease-related splenomegaly or symptoms in adult patients with primary myelofibrosis (PMF) (also known as chronic idiopathic MF), post-polycythemia vera myelofibrosis (PPV-MF) or post-essential thrombocythemia myelofibrosis (PET-MF) and for the treatment of adult patients with PV who are resistant to or intolerant of hydroxyurea (HU). In the US, ruxolitinib has been approved in the treatment of steroid refractory graft versus host disease post allogeneic stem cell transplantation.~Because many patients with severe respiratory disease due to COVID-19 have features consistent with the cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and increased activation of the JAK/STAT pathway, it is postulated that ruxolitinib might have a useful role in treating these patients.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ruxolitinib in the treatment of patients with COVID-19 severe pneumonia.