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US Sends Experimental Ebola Drug to Congo for Trials
23 Jun
Summary
- US provides experimental antibody drug for Ebola trials in Congo.
- The drug is for the Bundibugyo Ebola strain, with over 1,000 cases.
- Clinical trials for the Mapp drug and others will start soon.
The U.S. is supplying an experimental antibody drug, MBP134, for clinical trials aimed at combating the escalating Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This initiative marks a significant step, with the U.S. government directly supporting trials of the Mapp Biopharmaceutical drug for the first time.
The experimental treatment will be tested on the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, responsible for over 1,000 cases and numerous fatalities in Congo, with some cases also reported in neighboring Uganda. Clinical trials for MBP134, along with antivirals from Gilead Sciences, are anticipated to begin in the upcoming weeks.
These trials are crucial as there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments for this specific strain of Ebola. The World Health Organization is coordinating these efforts with health partners, despite the challenges of conducting trials in a conflict-affected region with disrupted supply chains and widespread mistrust.
Alongside Mapp's drug, Gilead's remdesivir and obeldesivir will also be evaluated. Vaccine trials are further behind, with initial phases potentially starting in July, possibly in the UK or Uganda, but not immediately in Congo. Ethics committees in Congo and Uganda are currently reviewing trial protocols.
