Leaked word about promising signs on a new drug to treat COVID-19 patients drove the markets sharply higher in early trading Friday morning. The buzz centers around Gilead Science's experimental drug, remdesivir. The medical news site STAT reports that a study at a University of Chicago hospital has seen patients using that antiviral medication rapidly recover from fever and respiratory symptoms.

STAT says most of the 113 people in Gilead's trial with severe COVID-19 - the illness caused by the new coronavirus - were discharged in less than a week. Two patients died.

Gilead and UChicago Medicine cautioned in emailed statements that it's too early to draw conclusions from the partial data. The trial did not measure the drug against those treated with a placebo.

The biotech company expects results from its Phase 3 study at the end of April.

Excited investors couldn't wait, snapping up Gilead shares at the start of trading Friday and driving them sharply higher. As of yet, there are no approved treatments for COVID-19.