First Patients Enrolled in Ebola Treatment Trial in DR Congo’s Ituri Province

First Patients Enrolled in Ebola Treatment Trial in DR Congo’s Ituri Province
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The first patients have been enrolled in a new Ebola treatment trial in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, raising hopes that experimental drugs could reduce deaths in the ongoing outbreak in Ituri province.

The trial began just six weeks after the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on May 17, a pace scientists described as unusually fast for this type of research.

As of July 9, the outbreak had caused 1,792 confirmed cases and 625 deaths from the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment. The WHO says the outbreak remains in its expansion phase.

The Partners treatment trial is testing two drugs: remdesivir, an antiviral made by Gilead Sciences, and MBP134, a monoclonal antibody developed by Mapp Biopharmaceutical. Patients will receive either one of the drugs, a combination of both, or standard supportive care.

Researchers say both drugs have shown effectiveness against the Bundibugyo strain in animal studies, but they must now be tested in humans to determine whether they can lower mortality rates.

Health workers continue to rely on identifying cases, isolating patients, and tracing contacts. About 75 percent of known contacts are being tracked, but low public trust, population movement, lack of pay for some frontline workers, and logistical problems have complicated the response.

WHO officials said enough remdesivir and MBP134 have been donated to enroll 1,200 patients. The trial is open to patients of all ages, including pregnant and breastfeeding women.

A separate trial is expected to test whether obeldesivir can prevent people exposed to the virus from developing Ebola, though Africa CDC says additional funding is still needed.