JAK Inhibitors — More Than Just Glucocorticoids

Most persons who are infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are asymptomatic or have only mild-to-moderate symptoms, whereas others have progression to severe disease, characterized by acute respiratory distress encompassing pulmonary hyperinflammation and endothelial and broad multisystem dysfunction. A number of drugs have been developed or repurposed to prevent clinical deterioration. Mechanistically, therapeutic agents can be categorized as those that aim to target the viral life cycle, such as remdesivir or lopinavir–ritonavir; SARS-CoV-2–targeted antibody therapies1; and those that are focused on the host response, such as glucocorticoids and other immunomodulators...