Ebola outbreak: Clinical trial for Bundibugyo virus begins in DR Congo
The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced the start of a clinical trial for potential treatments against the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, which is responsible for the current deadly outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, confirmed on Thursday that the first patient has been enrolled in the trial. The trial is sponsored by the WHO and coordinated by scientists from the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale in the DRC, the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Belgium, and the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.
According to the WHO, more than 1,400 cases and 438 deaths have been confirmed in the DRC alone. The Bundibugyo virus strain is highly infectious, and there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments specifically targeting it.
Speaking from WHO headquarters in Geneva, Dr Tedros said: 'The clinical trial of two therapeutics began, with the enrolment of the first patient. Even without approved therapeutics, people are recovering from this disease, but of course, we could save many more lives with safe and effective therapeutics in our toolkit.'
The trial aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of potential treatments, offering hope for better management of the outbreak.
