After more than 6 months in the doldrums, one of the world’s largest trials of COVID-19 treatments is finally restarting. Solidarity, a global study led by the World Health Organization, will test three new drugs in hospitalized COVID-19 patients: the cancer drug imatinib, an antibody named infliximab that is used to treat autoimmune diseases, and artesunate, an antimalarial. When Solidarity started in March 2020 it was a first: an effort to test drugs in dozens of countries simultaneously in the middle of a pandemic. By late 2020 it had delivered verdicts on four treatments—none showed a benefit—but then became mired in negotiations with pharma companies and regulatory delays.

在低迷了 6 个多月之后，世界上最大的 COVID-19 治疗试验之一终于重新启动。由世界卫生组织领导的一项全球研究 Solidarity 将在住院的 COVID-19 患者中测试三种新药：癌症药物伊马替尼，一种名为英夫利昔单抗的抗体，用于治疗自身免疫性疾病，以及青蒿琥酯，一种抗疟药。当 Solidarity 于 2020 年 3 月开始时，它是第一次：在大流行期间同时在数十个国家测试药物的努力。到 2020 年底，它已经对四种治疗方法做出了判决——没有一种显示出益处——但随后陷入了与制药公司的谈判和监管延迟的困境。