UNMC and Nebraska Medicine, its clinical partner, are the first to launch the trial because of their experience in biopreparedness, the researchers’ involvement with infectious diseases and the existence of the biocontainment unit on campus.

The trial’s design means it can be adapted to other treatments. If remdesivir is working, it can be used as a control to compare the effectiveness of the next drug to come along.

“There’s basically almost an unlimited (number) of medications that can be tested” with this design, he said.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not yet approved any specific treatments for people with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

“We urgently need a safe and effective treatment for COVID-19,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on its website Tuesday that more cases of COVID-19 are likely to be identified in the coming days, including more cases in the United States. It’s also likely that person-to-person spread will continue to occur, including in the U.S.