Key facts
- A study of two potential Ebola treatments has commenced in eastern Congo.
- The World Health Organization has enrolled the first participant in the trial.
- The current outbreak has resulted in over 1,400 diagnoses and 438 deaths.
- The treatments being tested are remdesivir and an experimental drug, MBP134.
- The study is currently limited to one treatment center in Ituri province due to safety concerns.
Researchers have initiated a crucial study of two potential Ebola treatments in eastern Congo, aiming to combat the escalating outbreak. The World Health Organization confirmed the enrollment of the first participant in the trial, which focuses on the less common Bundibugyo virus for which specific treatments are lacking.
The current outbreak has led to over 1,400 diagnoses and 438 deaths. While supportive care can aid recovery, particularly if administered early, there is an urgent need for more effective options. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed hope that the trial will yield concrete results for the affected communities.
The study will evaluate Gilead Sciences' remdesivir, a broad-acting antiviral with some laboratory indications of effectiveness against this strain, and Mapp Biopharmaceutical's experimental MBP134, an antibody-based treatment designed to target Ebola viruses. Patients will receive standard care and be randomly assigned to receive remdesivir, MBP134, both, or neither, with survival tracked for 28 days.
Dr. Vasee Moorthy, a WHO research adviser, cautioned that determining the drugs' efficacy could take months and require up to 1,000 participants, though a highly effective drug might show results more quickly. The trial is currently confined to one treatment center in Congo's Ituri province, an area affected by violence, including against healthcare workers. Expansion to other locations is planned once safety permits.
Sufficient quantities of both drugs have been donated by Gilead and the U.S. government to support the trial. If either treatment proves effective, efforts will focus on ensuring continued patient access. The trial is a collaborative effort involving Congo's INRB, Oxford University, Antwerp's Institute of Tropical Medicine, and other international health organizations.