Key facts
- The U.S. is supplying doses of an experimental antibody drug, MBP134, for Ebola clinical trials in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- France has confirmed its first case of Ebola in a doctor who returned from a humanitarian mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- The doctor in France is in stable condition and has been admitted to a specialized facility.
- The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has resulted in over 1,000 cases and 250 deaths.
- Trials for MBP134 and two Gilead Sciences antivirals are expected to begin in the coming weeks.
- Early-stage vaccine trials could potentially start in July.
The United States is providing doses of an experimental antibody drug, MBP134, developed by Mapp Biopharmaceutical, for clinical trials to combat the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This marks the first direct U.S. government support for trials of this specific treatment, intended for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola which has caused over 1,000 cases and 250 deaths in Congo, with additional cases reported in Uganda. France has confirmed its first Ebola case in a doctor who recently returned from a humanitarian mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo; the doctor is in stable condition. Doses of MBP134, along with other therapeutics, are being shipped, and the World Health Organization is coordinating patient enrollment for trials. Trials for MBP134 and two Gilead Sciences antivirals are expected to begin in the coming weeks, with early-stage vaccine trials potentially starting in July. Conducting trials in conflict-affected regions presents significant challenges.