Fortune December 12, 2020
In the race to find effective COVID-19 treatments, scientists are setting up clinical trials that test multiple drugs simultaneously, in the hopes of quickly determining which ones work best.
These “platform” trials have already led to important breakthroughs.
One, sponsored by the University of Oxford, tested multiple treatments, including the antimalarial hydroxychloroquine, HIV protease inhibitors lopinavir and ritonavir, and steroid dexamethasone. The conclusion? Hydroxychloroquine and the protease inhibitors don’t work—but dexamethasone significantly reduces mortality among hospitalized patients. Many people credit this steroid for President Trump’s speedy recovery.
Another platform trial at the National Institutes of Health this spring found antiviral remdesivir could shorten COVID-19 patients’ hospital stays by four days, on average—a game changer in the battle to keep...
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