Testing of experimental treatments, preventive medicines and vaccines for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola behind Democratic Republic of Congo's ongoing outbreak is advancing rapidly, the U.N.'s World Health Organization said on Tuesday.
The epidemic - the second-largest and fastest-spreading on record - was caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments.
But Vasee Moorthy, acting head of WHO's R&D Blueprint programme, told journalists in Geneva that research protocols developed before the epidemic's onset have helped speed up testing of new treatments.
"If you compare this outbreak to previous Ebola outbreaks, we have been able to start trials more quickly," he said. "It's true that the preclinical data that we're seeing is promising."
He cautioned, however, that only clinical trials could determine whether treatments and vaccines are effective.
The epidemic in Congo has so far defied health workers' efforts to contain it. As of August 1, Congo had recorded 3,748 confirmed cases and 1,657 confirmed deaths across 49 health zones in five provinces, according to WHO data. About 17,000 contacts are under monitoring, with roughly 80% checked daily.
A WHO-sponsored treatment trial is now operating at three clinical management facilities in Ituri province in partnership with medical charities ALIMA and Doctors Without Borders (MSF). More than 50 confirmed Ebola patients have been enrolled and randomly assigned to experimental treatment options, the WHO said.
A separate prophylaxis study led by Congo's National Institute for Biomedical Research and international partners has enrolled more than 25 high-risk contacts in Ituri province. Researchers are testing whether a 10-day course of the oral antiviral drug Obeldesivir can prevent disease after exposure.
Vaccine research is also accelerating. A Bundibugyo-specific vaccine developed by Oxford University and the Serum Institute of India entered a Phase 1 trial in Britain on July 24, while a second candidate developed by Moderna is expected to begin a Phase 1 trial in Canada this week.
WHO is also reviewing new animal data on whether Merck's licensed Ebola vaccine, used against the Zaire strain, could provide cross-protection against Bundibugyo Ebola, Moorthy said. A WHO advisory group met last week to assess the findings and is expected to publish recommendations shortly.
