An antiviral drug developed in the fight against the Ebola outbreak has reportedly shown promising first signs it could be used to treat coronavirus following a trial.

According to doctors, more than half of a group of very ill COVID-19 patients improved after receiving remdesivir, a drug created by Gilead Sciences. The results were published by the New England Journal of Medicine and were the first from testing remdesivir on coronavirus patients.

The drug has shown promise used to treat other coronavirus strains in the past, and while it’s helped some patients, it’s not helped everyone who has contracted COVID-19 and no drugs have officially been approved for treating the deadly disease.

Friday's results come from 53 patients, ages 23 to 82, who were admitted to hospitals in the United States, Europe, Canada and Japan.

For the latest on the coronavirus, check out BET’s blog on the virus, and contact your local health department or visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.