Key facts
- An Ebola treatment trial has begun in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- The trial is testing remdesivir and the experimental antibody treatment MBP134.
- The Bundibugyo Ebola virus strain has no specific treatments or vaccines.
- Confirmed Ebola cases in the DRC have reached 1,561, with 506 deaths.
- The trial will track survival for 28 days post-treatment.
A clinical trial for an Ebola treatment has commenced in the Democratic Republic of Congo, offering a potential path forward in combating the Bundibugyo virus, which has no specific treatments or vaccines. The World Health Organization announced that the first participant has been enrolled in the study, which aims to determine if remdesivir, the experimental antibody treatment MBP134, or a combination of both can improve survival. The trial will track survival for 28 days post-treatment. This initiative is a collaboration between Congo's national biomedical research institute, Britain's Oxford University, Antwerp's Institute of Tropical Medicine, and other international health groups. The current phase focuses on confirmed Ebola patients, with a second phase planned for healthcare workers and high-risk individuals. The research is expected to continue for three to six months. The trial begins amid ongoing mourning for hundreds of victims, with over 1,400 diagnosed and 438 deaths attributed to the virus. The Democratic Republic of Congo announced on Sunday that confirmed Ebola cases had reached 1,561, including 506 deaths.