The latest on Covid-19 drugs and vaccines

The Friday evening before a holiday weekend is traditionally when groups release news they would rather no one pay attention to. But this past Friday, we finally got the full data from the NIH-run study showing that Gilead's remdesivir sped the recoveries of people with Covid-19. The data also revealed that the drug had a more limited benefit for patients who were severely ill, underscoring the need for additional treatments — as well as vaccines. More here.

After a study on Friday found that hydroxychloroquine was associated with higher mortality in Covid-19 patients, the WHO said Monday it had paused enrollment in the hydroxychloroquine portion of its multiarm Solidarity Trial to review the safety and efficacy data generated so far.
In vaccine news, data from a candidate being developed by the Chinese drug maker CanSino showed that it induced an immune response in participants, but that some had a weak response because of their interaction with a component of the vaccine. Separately, a participant in the Moderna vaccine trial tells STAT about experiencing a severe reaction after being dosed with the vaccine.
The Trump administration has tapped Janet Woodcock, a respected FDA veteran, to work full time on the White House's Covid-19 vaccine efforts. It may sound like a wonky personnel move, but it's a signal of the pressure to develop a vaccine.
The administration also sent its strategic testing plan to Congress this weekend, putting a bulk of the responsibility on states.