Prescription medication · JAK Inhibitor
baricitinib
Also sold as Olumiant. Olumiant treats rheumatoid arthritis in adults when other medicines have not worked well.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 9,259
- FDA reportsLightly reported
- $88.88
- Brand price (NADAC)
baricitinib (Olumiant) is a prescription JAK Inhibitor. Olumiant treats rheumatoid arthritis in adults when other medicines have not worked well.
Olumiant contains baricitinib. It is a medicine that can lower the activity of your immune system.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Brand Price
$88.88/unit
Generic Available
No
ELI LILLY AND CO
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Olumiant treats rheumatoid arthritis in adults when other medicines have not worked well.
Common side effects
Upper respiratory tract infections (like common cold), Nausea, Headache
Key warnings
Olumiant can increase your risk of serious infections.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from baricitinib's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Olumiant blocks certain enzymes called Janus kinases (JAKs) inside your cells. These enzymes help cause inflammation. By blocking them, Olumiant can reduce inflammation and other symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and alopecia areata.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 9,259 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for baricitinib, by number of reports
- Covid-19
Covid-19
439 reports
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis
352 reports
- Pulmonary Embolism
Pulmonary Embolism
294 reports
- Pneumonia
Pneumonia
264 reports
- Headache
Headache
253 reports
- Herpes Zoster
Herpes Zoster
237 reports
- Death
Death
235 reports
- Nausea
Nausea
226 reports
- Deep Vein Thrombosis
Deep Vein Thrombosis
213 reports
- Fatigue
Fatigue
183 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for baricitinib each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where baricitinib sits
baricitinib has more FDA adverse-event reports than 37% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is baricitinib; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 9,259 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2012–2025.
Total Reports
9,259
Reports Mentioning Death
866
9.4% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
3,011
Top Indication
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | COVID-19 | 439 |
| 4 | RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS | 352 |
| 5 | PULMONARY EMBOLISM | 294 |
| 6 | PNEUMONIA | 264 |
| 7 | HEADACHE | 253 |
| 8 | HERPES ZOSTER | 237 |
| 9 | DEATH | 235 |
| 10 | NAUSEA | 226 |
| 11 | DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS | 213 |
| 12 | FATIGUE | 183 |
| 13 | ARTHRALGIA | 179 |
| 14 | WEIGHT INCREASED | 179 |
| 15 | THERAPY INTERRUPTED | 178 |
| 16 | DYSPNOEA | 174 |
| 17 | URINARY TRACT INFECTION | 174 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
Olumiant can increase your risk of serious infections. Tell your doctor right away if you have any signs of an infection, such as fever, cough, or body aches. Blood clots in the lungs and legs, some cancers, heart attack, stroke, and death have happened in people taking Olumiant.
Common Questions
What should I tell my doctor before taking Olumiant?
How long does it take for Olumiant to work?
Can I take Olumiant with other medicines?
What are the symptoms of a serious infection?
Can Olumiant cause cancer?
What should I do if I get pregnant while taking Olumiant?
Can Olumiant affect my cholesterol?
Will Olumiant cure my rheumatoid arthritis?
Can I get vaccines while taking Olumiant?
What tests will I need while taking Olumiant?
What are the common side effects of baricitinib?
What drug class is baricitinib?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for baricitinib?
Related Medications in JAK Inhibitor
Other drugs grouped near baricitinib - same-class peers and common alternatives.
abatacept
Orencia
Orencia is a medicine that helps to reduce inflammation.
Compare with baricitinib →
acetaminophen
Tylenol
Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is a medicine that can relieve pain and reduce fever.
Compare with baricitinib →
acetaminophen/hydrocodone
Vicodin, Norco
This medicine contains acetaminophen and hydrocodone.
Compare with baricitinib →
acetaminophen/oxycodone
Percocet
Percocet is a strong pain medicine.
Compare with baricitinib →
adalimumab
Humira
Idacio is a medicine that blocks a protein called TNF.
Compare with baricitinib →
Compare beyond drug class
Nationwide peers by FAERS volume & death-report share
Two PlainMeds-derived comparison paths for baricitinib: nearest FDA FAERS report volume and nearest death-report share among drugs with at least 1,000 logged reports, excluding same-class neighbors listed above. Counts reflect reporting volume, not proven individual harm.
Similar FAERS report volume
Nearest drugs by total FAERS reports. This record: 9,259.
Similar death-report share
Nearest drugs by FAERS death-report share. This record: 9.35%.
- famotidine Δ 0.00 pts · 110,018 reports · H2 Receptor Antagonist 9.35%death share
- ropinirole Δ 0.02 pts · 14,664 reports · Dopamine Agonist 9.34%death share
- ibandronate Δ 0.02 pts · 2,935 reports · Bisphosphonate 9.34%death share
- gabapentin Δ 0.03 pts · 351,750 reports · Anticonvulsant / Nerve Pain Agent 9.38%death share
Medication Guides
Understanding Drug Interactions
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Generic vs Brand Name Drugs
FDA requirements, cost savings, and when the difference matters
Narrow Therapeutic Index Drugs
FDA bioequivalence and label-record context for narrow therapeutic index medicines
Common Drug Interactions
Dangerous medication combinations and how to protect yourself
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What the FDA Data Shows for baricitinib
The FDA label for baricitinib (sold under brand names such as Olumiant) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the JAK Inhibitor class. Olumiant treats rheumatoid arthritis in adults when other medicines have not worked well. Official labeling lists 7 commonly reported side effects, including Upper respiratory tract infections (like common cold), Nausea, Headache.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 9,259 voluntary reports. Interaction data is drawn directly from FDA-approved prescribing information. NADAC pricing from CMS.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history, and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.
Last updated: May 10, 2022
PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages