First bit of success from a randomized trial of a COVID-19 treatment [UPDATED]

Enlarge / A vial of the drug Remdesivir destined for a clinical trial. (credit: ULRICH PERREY/Getty Images)

Update, 5:40pm ET, April 29: Additional data on remdesivir's effects from a separate study are described below the original article.

Today, Dr. Anthony Fauci announced the first potential treatment for COVID-19 had emerged from a randomized clinical trial sponsored in part by the National Institutes of Health. The drug, remdesivir, significantly shortened the recovery time for patients with COVID-19, triggering an ethical clause that allowed the placebo group to receive the real drug. Unfortunately, that cut the trial short before a significant effect on mortality was clear.

Fauci made the announcement while speaking to the press with President Donald Trump in the White House.

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