WHO's new Covid-19 clinical trial

The World Health Organization is launching a clinical trial with multiple sites around the world, aiming to help catalyze the search for drugs to treat Covid-19. So far, four drugs or drug combinations have been earmarked for testing, in 10 different countries.

The mere fact that the WHO is sponsoring a trial like this, STAT’s Helen Branswell writes, suggests that efforts in China to test these drugs haven't been enough. The multi-arm study, dubbed the SOLIDARITY trial, will test the antiviral drug remdesivir; a combination of two HIV drugs, lopinavir and ritonavir; lopinavir and ritonavir plus interferon beta; and the antimalarial drug chloroquine.