Researchers Begin Trial of Two Ebola Treatments in Eastern Congo

Researchers began enrolling patients this week in a study of two experimental Ebola treatments at a treatment center in Bunia, eastern Congo. The trial is evaluating whether the antiviral remdesivir, the antibody treatment MBP134, or a combination of both improves survival among patients infected with the Bundibugyo virus.

The study opened at the Ebola treatment center inside Bunia's Evangelical Medical Center on Thursday. The first participant was enrolled the same day, the World Health Organization said. Survival will be tracked for 28 days after treatment begins.

Background on the outbreak The Bundibugyo virus has caused more than 1,400 confirmed cases and 438 deaths in Ituri province, the head of the World Health Organization said Thursday. No approved treatments or vaccines exist for this strain. The current phase of the trial is limited to patients already receiving care inside specialized centers.

A later phase will include healthcare workers and close contacts, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Challenges to the response Community mistrust, overcrowded centers, and insecurity in conflict-affected areas have slowed the outbreak response. Nearly three out of four deaths have occurred outside health facilities, an incident manager at Congo's National Institute of Public Health said Friday.

Officials said the trial could run three to six months depending on how the outbreak develops. Plans call for expanding the study to additional sites once security conditions allow.