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US Sends Experimental Ebola Drug to Congo
Newser • • health
Key Points:
- The US is expanding access to the experimental Ebola antibody treatment MBP134, now sending it to the Democratic Republic of Congo for clinical trials and compassionate use amid a severe outbreak.
- The current Ebola outbreak in Congo involves the Bundibugyo strain, with over 1,000 cases and more than 250 deaths, and cases have also appeared in Uganda, raising concerns about the potential severity of the epidemic.
- The World Health Organization is coordinating shipments of MBP134 and other therapies, with trials planned to test MBP134 alone and combined with Gilead's remdesivir, alongside evaluating Gilead's obeldesivir as a preventative.
- Vaccine candidates from Oxford/Serum Institute of India and Moderna are in earlier stages, with first-phase trials expected to begin outside Congo soon, while challenges in the region include conflict, mistrust, and logistical difficulties.
