Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, looked positively close to euphoric yesterday when he described the promising results of the anti-viral drug – rendesivir – in a nation-wide trial that is hoped will significantly impact the treatment of patients suffering from this deadly virus.

“It’s a drug that can block this virus,” said Dr. Fauci.  “It has had a significant effect.”  He continued that it is his “ethical obligation” to let the patients on placebos know of the drug tests.

Maine Medical Center (MMC) is the only hospital in Maine that is participating in this drug  trial.  Currently, MMC has five patients participating in the drug trial, although no more details are available to the public due to confidentially.  “At this time, the study’s sponsors has not directed MMC as a clinical trial site to make any changes to its current study protocol.  If the FDA approves remesivir for COV-19 treatment, MMC will follow the agency’s lead and begin using the drug as directed,” according to a comment from Caroline Cornish, of MMC, this morning in an email.

According to a front page article in The New York Times, Dr. Fauci said “the trial had shown that treatment with the drug could modestly speed recovery in patients infected with the coronavirus.”  The article continued “the improvement in recovery times ‘doesn’t seem like a knock-out 100 percent,’ Dr. Fauci conceded, but ‘it is a very important proof of concept, because what it has proven is that a drug can block this virus.”.

“The Food and Drug Administration is likely at some point to announce an emergency approval for remesivir, a senior administration official told The New York Times.  Another  drug touted by the president, hydrochloroquine, also was granted such an approval, with disappointing results,” according to the same article.

Better than Bleach?  Undoubtedly.

Please post herein dated April 14, 2020 on MMC’s participation in the drug trial.