An experimental drug has proved effective against the new coronavirus in a major study, shortening the time it takes for patients to recover by four days on average, U.S. government and company officials announced Wednesday.

Gilead Sciences’s remdesivir is the first treatment to pass such a strict test against the virus, which has killed more than 218,000 people since it emerged late last year in China. Having a treatment could have a profound effect on the global pandemic, especially because health officials say any vaccine is likely a year or more away.

The study, run by the National Institutes of Health, tested remdesivir versus usual care in 1,063 hospitalized coronavirus patients around the world. At the White House, NIH's Dr. Anthony Fauci said the drug reduced the time it takes patients to recover by 31% — 11 days on average versus 15 days for those just given usual care.

He also said there was a trend toward fewer deaths among those on remdesivir, and that full results would soon be published in a medical journal.

“What it has proven is that a drug can block this virus,” Fauci said. “This will be the standard of care."

A statement from the Food and Drug Administration says that the agency has been talking with California-based Gilead “regarding making remdesivir available to patients as quickly as possible, as appropriate.”

Remdesivir is among many treatments being tested against the coronavirus but was the farthest along in study.

“We are excited and optimistic,” said one expert, Vanderbilt University’s Dr. Mark Denison. His lab first tested remdesivir against other coronaviruses in 2013 and has done much research on it since, but was not involved in the NIH study.

“It’s active against every coronavirus that we’ve ever tested,” he said. “It was very hard for the virus to develop resistance to remdesivir. That means the drug would likely be effective over longer term use.”

The company also said no new safety problems emerged in that study, and that it would publish results in a medical journal soon.

budaatum:
At least it went through credible trials, unlike the chloroquine and bleach that one country's president was touting as a cure!

Jokerman:
Lol... Mine is for the thing to work fully and let everything go back to normal.... Ko deruñ!!!

God bless America again...

budaatum:

It does not work as much as you think o, it just might make you live 4 or 5 days longer before you die, so please be careful still!

GamalNasser:


Sharap you Buharist!!!!!!! Chloroquine has been proven to have a 100 percent efficacy against COVID and Trump never said bleach was a cure to anything ...You Muslims should leave Trump alone and take your problems to Saudi that put you in this bondage in the first place

Jokerman:


I'm not dying anytime now... So sorry.. I don't have Corona, moreover, I'm living to declare God's word for a very long time

budaatum:

I wonder why people keep calling buda a Muslim as if being a Muslim is some sort of disease. I bet you pressume to be a Christian too and do not consider me your neighbour or your enemy even whom Christ taught you to love!

No need to be rude. Just go and catch coronavirus and cure yourself with chloroquine.

GamalNasser:


Sharap you Buharist!!!!!!! Chloroquine has been proven to have a 100 percent efficacy against COVID and Trump never said bleach was a cure to anything ...You Muslims should leave Trump alone and take your problems to Saudi that put you in this bondage in the first place

GamalNasser:


Stop denying your religion ..you know nothing about how the big pharma industry works so keep decieving yourself ok

budaatum:

You are correct. Michigan Democrat thanking Trump is definitely evidence that you are not deceiving yourself that chloroquine will cure you of your stupidity.

GamalNasser:


Gerrout GTFOH

budaatum:

Lol you poor ignorant sod.

GamalNasser:



Abeg take your low IQ and herd mentality out of my front before I insult the hell out of U an get banned

ozoebuka1:
They'd rush it because it's European made but Madagascar had their own cure everyone is avoiding it because it wasn't made in Europe... Smh

GamalNasser:
Gilead stocks about to rise , seems Satanist Dr Fauci has abandoned Bill Gates for now

Rilwayne001:

budaatum:
At least it went through credible trials, unlike the chloroquine and bleach that one country's president was touting as a cure!

budaatum:
At least it went through credible trials, unlike the chloroquine and bleach that one country's president was touting as a cure!

donprinyo:

Olodo, wetin ur president suggest?