WHO Launches First Treatment Trial for Deadly Ebola Strain

The World Health Organization just opened enrollment for its first-ever treatment trial targeting Bundibugyo virus, an Ebola strain that has killed more than 700 people in Congo. Until now, no approved vaccines or treatments existed for this deadly strain.

Two promising candidates are entering the fight. MBP-134, a two-antibody cocktail developed by Mapp Biopharmaceutical, showed success against multiple Ebola strains in animal trials. Gilead Sciences is also testing remdesivir, the antiviral already approved in 50 countries for COVID-19.

Both companies are donating all doses needed for the trial. The US Department of Health and Human Services is providing MBP-134 supplies, while Gilead donated remdesivir for both the trial and emergency response efforts in Uganda last month.

The trial will test whether each drug works alone or if combining them improves survival rates even more. Patients of any age can enroll, and researchers designed it as a platform trial, meaning additional treatments can be added as they become available.

This breakthrough matters because Ebola treatments are incredibly rare. Only one vaccine and two treatments have ever been globally approved, and all three work exclusively against the Zaire ebolavirus strain. That leaves three other human-infecting Ebola strains with zero approved options.

The timing couldn't be more urgent. The current outbreak is the fastest-growing in history, with 80% of cases coming from unknown transmission chains. Cases are emerging faster than health workers can track them.

The Ripple Effect

Success in this trial would transform emergency response for future outbreaks. Right now, health workers can only provide supportive care for Bundibugyo patients, watching helplessly as the virus spreads. Proven treatments would give them actual weapons in the fight.

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations is also fast-tracking three experimental vaccines for Bundibugyo virus. The WHO released new guidelines to help researchers develop better vaccine candidates in the future.

MBP-134's early testing showed the treatment was safe and well-tolerated in healthy volunteers. Its animal trials demonstrated promise across multiple Ebola strains, including Bundibugyo. Remdesivir has shown "promising preclinical activity" against the entire filovirus family, which includes all Ebola strains.

Larry Zeitlin, president of Mapp Biopharmaceutical, emphasized his company's mission: developing antibody drugs for neglected diseases like Ebola that desperately need attention. These are the illnesses that don't attract big pharmaceutical investments because outbreaks affect mainly low-income regions.

The trial represents hope not just for Congo, but for every community threatened by neglected diseases that lack basic medical tools. When the world comes together to tackle these challenges, lives get saved and future outbreaks become less terrifying.