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USA agrees to provide an experimental Ebola treatment to the Democratic Republic of Congo

 

The United States has agreed to provide an experimental Ebola treatment to the Democratic Republic of Congo for use in a clinical trial targeting the country's latest outbreak.

The drug, known as MBP134 and developed by California-based Mapp Biopharmaceutical, had initially been reserved for American patients. However, its deployment in DR Congo is expected to support ongoing research and could accelerate regulatory approval in the United States.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization says clinical trials of Remdesivir—an antiviral drug previously used to treat COVID-19—will begin next week among Ebola patients.

Efforts to contain the outbreak have been complicated by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is currently no approved treatment or vaccine. Scientists are working to develop four potential vaccines, with two candidates expected to enter clinical trials within the next two months.

However, progress in developing new treatments and vaccines has been slowed by disputes over the sharing of virus samples between countries and research institutions.

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