Scientists Race to Trial Promising Ebola Treatments

After an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, scientists are working around the clock to bring hope to affected communities through clinical trials of two promising treatments.

The outbreak, caused by a rare Ebola species called Bundibugyo virus, has affected 336 suspected cases with 88 deaths. Unlike other Ebola outbreaks, this one has no approved vaccines or treatments yet.

But that's about to change. The World Health Organization is sponsoring a clinical trial of two experimental therapies, pending government approval. "We're in a really strong position to quickly launch trials," says Amanda Rojek, a clinical researcher at the University of Oxford who's part of the effort. "We're working day and night at the moment."

The first treatment is remdesivir, an antiviral drug that gained attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. The second is MBP134, a therapy made from two antibodies that can recognize different Ebola viruses.

MBP134 has shown particularly exciting results in research. In a 2019 study, scientists gave the treatment to six monkeys infected with Bundibugyo virus who were already showing severe symptoms like fever. Five of them made profound recoveries.

"It's a true therapeutic," says Thomas Geisbert, a virologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch. "You can wait until they're very sick. It really mimics someone that walks into a clinic and is very sick."

The treatment worked so well in animals that researchers are confident it could help human patients. Larry Zeitlan, chief executive of Mapp Biopharmaceuticals, which developed MBP134, confirms the company has enough doses ready for a trial.

Why This Inspires

This outbreak is different from past ones because scientists aren't starting from scratch. Years of research into Ebola treatments mean they can move quickly from laboratory success to helping real patients. The fact that researchers already have doses ready and teams working nonstop shows how far outbreak response has come.

The speed of this response represents a major shift in how the world handles emerging diseases. Instead of waiting months or years to develop treatments, scientists can now test promising therapies within weeks of an outbreak declaration.

For the communities affected by this outbreak, these trials offer something precious: hope grounded in solid science and the dedication of researchers who won't rest until help arrives.