Gilead says remdesivir trials show improvement for COVID-19 patients

FILE PHOTO: A Gilead Sciences, Inc. logo is seen outside the company headquarters in Foster City, California, U.S. May 1, 2018. REUTERS/Stephen Lam

(Reuters) - Gilead Sciences Inc on Wednesday said its experimental antiviral drug remdesivir helped improve outcomes for patients with COVID-19, and provided data suggesting it worked better when given earlier in the course of infection.

The closely watched drug has moved markets in the past few weeks following the release of several studies that painted a mixed picture of its effectiveness. On Wednesday, broader markets again rose on the data and Gilead shares jumped 2.4%.