A cheap steroid cuts deaths from severe covid-19

DRUG DISCOVERY is, almost by definition, an emotional rollercoaster. The path to success is strewn with false hopes, disappointment and even the occasional scientific scandal. And so it has been with the search for a medicine to treat patients dying from covid-19.But the gloom lifted on June 16th with news from a large clinical trial in Britain. This trial found that dexamethasone, a cheap steroid drug, reduced deaths by a third among the most severely ill covid-19 patients. The drug is set to become the standard of care for the National Health Service (NHS) across Britain. Doctors around the world will, undoubtedly, follow suit.