Drug Used For Ebola Will Start Clinical Trials for Covid-19

[Ruthanne]

On the news tonight they said clinical trials will begin with a drug that was used for Ebola.

They say if they can cure the patients they won't be able to spread the virus further:

Ebola Medicine To Be Used on Covid-19

Drug Trials to Stop Covid-19

 

[StarSong]

I think drug companies and scientists are going to throw everything they can find against the wall in hopes that something will stick.

 

[Tommy]

I think drug companies and scientists are going to throw everything they can find against the wall in hopes that something will stick.

I began my career as a research chemist for a large pharmaceutical company, and to a large extent that's exactly how it works. Based on an extensive knowledge base of the underlying sciences, drug companies synthesize large numbers of potential candidate remedies. Then, through many steps of highly structured testing, they eliminate all but the most promising and conduct increasingly involved (and expensive) tests to identify the best solution.