While there is nothing screaming “good news” from these results there could be some reasons why the drug failed (or seemed to) that might not prohibit remdesivir from eventually making the cut.

Antiviral drugs work better when taken early. This is known for influenza and herpes simplex. If the drug had been administered to people who had been ill for no more than two days the results could be quite different.

This is especially true with coronavirus since it is known that the viral attack unleashes holy hell on the immune system, leading to especially dangerous cytokine storms.

The final paper might be substantially different from the draft (but don’t bet on it).

The data are based on a leaked summary, which may or may not be correct.