WHO identifies three drugs to combat Ebola outbreak in Africa
Kyiv • UNN
WHO has selected MBP134, maftivimab, and remdesivir to combat the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. Obeldesivir is planned for use in disease prevention.
The World Health Organization has identified three experimental drugs that could be used to combat the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, an outbreak of which is ongoing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and has already been recorded in Uganda. This was reported by Reuters, according to UNN.
Details
The WHO recommended prioritizing the drugs MBP134, maffitivimab, and the antiviral agent remdesivir. The organization noted that these medicines and potential vaccines must undergo clinical trials to evaluate their effectiveness against the Bundibugyo strain.
Currently, there are no approved vaccines or specialized treatments for this variant of the virus. At the same time, Regeneron stated that maffitivimab has already been delivered to the DR Congo and can be used both for treating patients and as part of future research.
Separately, the WHO drew attention to the experimental antiviral drug obeldesivir by Gilead. It is planned to be used for prophylaxis among people who have been in contact with those infected. At the same time, the organization emphasized that the effectiveness of such an approach will depend on high-quality contact tracing of the infected.