New weapon discovered at UNC in fight against coronavirus

WHAT THIS DRUG DOES?

>> Reporter: DR. RALPH BARIC,

WHO HAS BEEN A REGULAR ON THE

7:00 P.M.

NEWSCAST, TELLS US THE DRUG

HELPS BLOCK THE VIRUS FROM

REPLICATING WITHIN YOUR BODY.

NOW HE ALSO SAYS IT IS PROVEN

THAT THE DRUG HELPS COVID-19

PATIENTS RECOVER MUCH FASTER.

>> I CAN'T EXPLAIN THE FEELING

THAT I HAVE.

IT IS INCREDIBLE TO SEE

PATIENTS WHERE THEY CAN MAKE A

DIFFERENCE IN THEIR LIVES.

>> Reporter: AFTER YEARS OF

HARD WORK AND RESEARCH

CONDUCTED AT UNC, DR. RALPH

BARIC AND HIS TEAMS RESEARCH

WILL BE THE

CARE FOR COVID-19 PATIENTS.

>> WE COULD DEMONSTRATE THE

DRUG WORKED GREAT TO BLOCK

EVERY CORONAVIRUS WE HAD

AVAILABLE IN OUR LABORATORY.

>> Reporter: A DRUG HE HAS

TOUTED RIGHT HERE ON WRAL

BEFORE.

>> IN FACT, THE FIRST DRUG WE

IDENTIFIED THAT HAS GONE

THROUGH FDA REVIEW AND HAS BEEN

GOING THROUGH CLINICAL TRIALS.

WE DEVELOPED IT IN

COLLABORATION WITH RESEARCHERS

AT VANDERBILT AND GILEAD.

>> Reporter: IT WAS ORIGINALLY

TESTED ON MICE AND RESEARCHERS

QUICKLY NOTICED IT WAS WORKING.

>> WE WERE POSITIONED TO MOVE

THE DRUG IMMEDIATELY INTO

HUMAN TRIALS.

THERE ARE FIVE HUMAN TRIALS

THAT ARE CURRENTLY ONGOING.

>> Reporter: THE DRUG IS

ADMINISTERED THROUGH AN IV.

IT WAS ORIGINALLY CREATED TO

FIGHT EBOLA AND HAS MINIMAL

SIDE EFFECTS.

>> THE DATA SHOWS THAT

REMDESIVIR HAS A CLEAR-CUT

SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE EFFECT IN

DIMINISHING THE TIME

TO RECOVERY.

THIS IS REALLY QUITE IMPORTANT

FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.

>> Reporter: RESEARCH SHOWS

COVID-19 PATIENTS GIVEN THIS

DRUG RECOVER FASTER AND HAVE A

BETTER SURVIVAL RATE.

>> PATIENTS WERE RECOVERING IN

A MATTER OF 11 DAYS INSTEAD OF

15 DAYS.

IT IS LIKE A 30% IMPROVEMENT

IN RECOVERY.

THAT IS REALLY, REALLY

ENCOURAGING.

>> Reporter: ALTHOUGH THESE

FINDINGS ARE ENCOURAGING,

EXPERTS WANT TO STRESS THAT

THIS IS STILL IN THE EARLY

STAGES AND THAT IT IS NOT A