A recent study found that dexamethasone could save the lives of severely ill Covid-19 patients. | Matthew Horwood/Getty Images

Scientists still want to see the data behind the clinical trial.

Scientists at Oxford University in the United Kingdom this week reported that a trial of the drug dexamethasone shows it may be the first treatment demonstrated to save the lives of Covid-19 patients.

Dexamethasone is a corticosteroid typically used to treat inflammation. It’s cheap, as little as $1 per dose. It’s also been around since the 1950s, is cleared for human use, and is available as a generic. That makes it an ideal option to treat severe cases of Covid-19, especially compared to more expensive, unproven drugs still in testing.

The research team reported that a 6-milligram daily dose of dexamethasone reduced deaths by one-third in Covid-19 patients on ventilators and reduced deaths