The World Health Organization (WHO) is enrolling patients in a clinical trial in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to test potential treatments for Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD), a rare form of Ebola. Sources report that the PARTNERS trial opens patient enrolment in the Ituri region and broader DRC response area, with the first patient enrolled as early as Thursday, following an accelerated setup timeline after the outbreak was declared a public health emergency of international concern in May. The trial evaluates two antiviral therapies—monoclonal antibody MBP134 and remdesivir—both as standalone options and in combination, to determine whether they improve survival and whether combined therapy offers additional benefit. WHO and partner organizations conduct and coordinate the study, including DRC and international research institutions. All reporting notes that there are currently no approved treatments for BVD. Patients in the trial receive supportive care and close follow-up, including monitoring for at least 28 days after enrolment. Multiple outlets also reference the scale of the outbreak to date, with hundreds of deaths and more than a thousand confirmed cases in DRC, and ongoing security and response challenges in some treatment settings.
WHO begins clinical trial of treatments for Bundibugyo Ebola in DR Congo
The World Health Organization (WHO) is enrolling patients in a clinical trial in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to test potential treatments for Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD), a rare form...
- WHO launches/opens the PARTNERS clinical trial in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD).
- The trial tests two antivirals—monoclonal antibody MBP134 and remdesivir—used alone and in combination.
- No approved treatments are currently available for BVD.
- Patients enrolled receive comprehensive supportive care and close follow-up for at least 28 days.
- The trial is conducted in collaboration with DRC institutions and international partners coordinated with WHO.
Amidst an alarming Ebola crisis, the Democratic Republic of Congo is reporting over 1,900 cases linked to the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which no approved therapies are available. In a groundbreaking effort, scientists are conducting the first-ever human trial of a new vaccine candidate aimed at assessing its safety and immune response in healthy individuals. However, it may take years before the vaccine becomes widely accessible.
1 month agoThe World Health Organization launched the first clinical trial on Tuesday to test whether an antiviral drug can prevent infection in people exposed to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as the outbreak continues to outpace response efforts and spread beyond known chains of transmission.
1 month agoTwo drugs are being trialled in the Ituri region in a programme set up just six weeks after the outbreak was declared, with hopes it will reduce mortality ratesThere is no approved drug to help the medical teams scrabbling to save lives in the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo – but there are hopes that could change within months as the first patients are enrolled in a treatment trial.It is a record pace to set up and start this kind of research, scientists said, with patients enrolled just six weeks after the outbreak being declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 17 May. Continue reading...
1 month agoClinical trials for treatments targeting the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus disease began on July 2 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The goal is to develop a standard treatment for the strain, whose current outbreak has already resulted in nearly 1,500 confirmed cases and more than 450 deaths. According to DRC health authorities, […]
1 month agoPatients with the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola have started receiving experimental treatments in a clinical trial that aims to improve care for the rare viral disease, which has killed more than 500 people in Democratic Republic of Congo.
1 month agoA trial for an experimental Ebola treatment starts in Congo, where the largest-ever Ebola outbreak continues to grow.
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