The first patient has been enrolled in a clinical trial aimed at finding a treatment for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola currently spreading through the Democratic Republic of Congo, the head of the World Health Organization announced Thursday.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the announcement to reporters, calling it a significant step forward in the fight against the outbreak. However, he also pointed to an attack on an Ebola treatment center in Ituri province that left two people dead, underscoring the ongoing obstacles facing health workers on the ground.
“Despite all this progress, we continue to face significant challenges, including mistrust and violence,” Dr. Tedros said.
The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola currently has no approved vaccines or treatments. So far, the outbreak has produced more than 1,400 cases in the DRC, resulting in 438 deaths. Over the past two weeks, the country has seen an average of 38 new confirmed cases every day.
The trial, which may take several months to complete, is designed to enroll more than 1,000 patients. It will test Mapp Biopharmaceutical’s experimental antibody treatment, known as MBP134, both on its own and in combination with Gilead Sciences’ antiviral medication remdesivir, according to the WHO.
The WHO said there are sufficient drug supplies to carry out the trials. The organization noted it is in ongoing discussions with the United States — which donated the MBP134 supplies — and with Gilead Sciences to ensure patients can continue accessing the drugs after the trials conclude, provided they are proven safe and effective.
Dr. Tedros also highlighted areas where the response is gaining ground. Ten laboratories are now capable of testing for Ebola, and health officials are successfully following up with four out of every five known contacts of infected individuals, though he noted that more contacts still need to be identified for each confirmed case.
Treatment capacity has grown as well, with 650 beds now available across treatment facilities — approximately 96% of which are currently in use. The WHO and its partners are working to add another 300 beds to that total.
In a separate development, the WHO declared an end to a hantavirus outbreak that had been connected to a cruise ship, after the final identified contact of an exposed individual completed quarantine and tested negative for the virus. That outbreak, which sickened 13 people and killed three, was caused by the Andes virus — a rare hantavirus strain that typically circulates in Argentina and Chile.
