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Trials of two potential treatments for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola have begun in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced on Thursday that clinical trials of the two candidate therapies have commenced, marking an important step in the response to the outbreak.
There have been 1,406 confirmed cases and 438 confirmed deaths in the DRC, while 208 people have recovered from the virus, according to figures from the WHO.
“Today, the clinical trial of two therapeutics began, with the enrolment of the first patient,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said to reporters, adding that the trial evaluates the monoclonal antibody MBP134 and the antiviral drug remdesivir, alone and in combination.
He said the study was being conducted by the DRC’s National Institute for Biomedical Research, with support from partners including the WHO.
“Patients who enroll in the trial will receive comprehensive supportive care and close follow-up,”
“We are also working to ensure they have access to the two drugs should they prove safe and efficacious in the trial,” Tedros insisted.
It’s pertinent to know that there are no approved vaccines or treatments for the rare strain, which has been spreading in the northeastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
