Results of a small study of very ill COVID-19 patients showed promising outcomes for a potential treatment developed through research centered at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

More than two-thirds of the 53 patients who received the drug remdesivir showed improvement, according to an article published Friday in the New England Journal of Medicine. Seven of the patients died.

Results of larger controlled trials underway at several sites around the world haven’t yet been published. The information published by the New England Journal of Medicine represents the best data to date on the effectiveness of the antiviral treatment, according to the article. The patients came from across the globe, with 22 in the U.S., 22 in Europe or Canada and nine in Japan.

But the study does have several limitations. It only included a small number of patients who received the treatment through Gilead Sciences’ compassionate use program, which makes investigational drugs available to critically ill patients. It was also funded by the drug company.

Most of the patients who received remdesivir were already on ventilators when they started the 10-day course. The study did not compare treated patients with those who did not receive the drug.

However, the authors wrote that the 13 percent mortality rate was noteworthy because the patients enrolled in the study were so severely ill when they received remdesivir. Mortality rates for other studies of hospitalized patients in China ranged from 17 to 78 percent, according to the article.

“While the outcomes observed in this compassionate use analysis are encouraging, the data are limited,” said Dr. Merdad Parsey, Chief Medical Officer for Gilead Sciences. “Gilead has multiple clinical trials underway for remdesivir with initial data expected in the coming weeks. Our goal is to add to the growing body of evidence as quickly as possible to more fully evaluate the potential of remdesivir and, if appropriate, support broader use of this investigational drug.”

No new safety concerns arose during the study. Remdesivir has been found to cause some problems with liver and kidney function in the past.

UAB is one of 75 clinical trial sites for remdesivir, which launched on March 25. That study will compare outcomes for hospitalized patients receiving the drug with those who get a placebo. It will include hundreds of patients and should provide a better picture of remdesivir’s effectiveness and side effects.

Remdesivir was initially developed as a potential treatment for Ebola through UAB’s Antiviral Drug Discovery and Development Center. It has shown promise in animal and laboratory studies against COVID-19.