Record-breaking Ebola treatment trial begins in DR Congo
The first patients have been enrolled in a record-speed clinical trial for Ebola (Bundibugyo strain) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, just six weeks after the WHO declared a public health emergency.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has launched a record-breaking clinical trial for Ebola treatment, enrolling the first patients just six weeks after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on May 17. The trial tests two drugs: remdesivir and monoclonal antibody MBP134, alone or in combination, against standard supportive care.
As of July 9, there have been 1,792 confirmed cases and 625 deaths from the Bundibugyo strain, for which no vaccine or approved treatment exists. The WHO says the outbreak is still in an expansion phase. Local residents are frustrated; Neema Haba, a mother of three and banana seller, said the outbreak is financially devastating her family.
Researchers hope the drugs can lower mortality. Bundibugyo typically kills about one in three infected. Previous monoclonal antibody trials against the Zaire strain cut mortality from 50% to 35%. A result will likely require 700 to 1,000 patients enrolled, which may take months.
The response is hampered by low trust in authorities, a mobile population, and unpaid frontline workers who briefly stopped work. The closure of Bunia airport is hindering cash supply. The trial includes patients of all ages, including pregnant and breastfeeding women.
The trial is led by the DRC’s National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB) with WHO support, funded by Wellcome Trust, FCDO, and UKRI. Gilead Sciences donated remdesivir, and the US government donated MBP134. A second trial testing the preventive drug obeldesivir may start this week but needs about $18 million, with $6 million committed so far.
