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Ebola: Experimental drugs and vaccines Ebola: Experimental drugs and vaccines
(6 days later)
With hundreds of cases of Ebola in Africa, health experts are looking at whether the use of experimental drugs is justified. With hundreds of cases of Ebola in Africa, a panel of World Health Organization (WHO) experts has declared it is ethical to use experimental drugs in this current outbreak.
What is the current treatment for Ebola?What is the current treatment for Ebola?
There is no licensed treatment or vaccine for the Ebola virus. Hospital treatment is based on giving patients intravenous fluids to stop dehydration and antibiotics to fight infections. Strict medical infection control and rapid burial are regarded as the best means of prevention.There is no licensed treatment or vaccine for the Ebola virus. Hospital treatment is based on giving patients intravenous fluids to stop dehydration and antibiotics to fight infections. Strict medical infection control and rapid burial are regarded as the best means of prevention.
What about experimental treatments?What about experimental treatments?
Several experimental treatments for Ebola are being developed, which have shown promising results in monkeys when given up to five days after infection. However, they have not been tested in more than a handful of people and none have been licensed. Several experimental treatments for Ebola are being developed, which have shown promising results in monkeys when given up to five days after infection. However, they have not been tested in more than a handful of people and none has been licensed.
What is serum?What is serum?
Serum - the part of the blood that contains antibodies - has been used in past Ebola outbreaks. Survivors have high levels of antibodies against the virus in their blood. In one outbreak in 1995 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, seven out of eight patients survived after being treated with serum from survivors, according to Prof Solomon. Reports suggest that the US aid workers who developed Ebola may have been given serum before being flown home from Africa. Serum - the part of the blood that contains antibodies that can target and neutralise the disease - has been used in past Ebola outbreaks. Survivors have high levels of antibodies against the virus in their blood. In one outbreak in 1995 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, seven out of eight patients survived after being treated with serum from survivors, according to Prof Solomon. The WHO says serum could be used as a potential treatment in this current outbreak if methods are developed to collect and administer it safely.
What other approaches are being tried?What other approaches are being tried?
Scientists have been working on a number of prototype vaccines against Ebola. Most are in very early stages of research in animal models and no vaccine has been licensed. Scientists have been working on a number of prototype vaccines against Ebola. The WHO says further trials would start soon and potential vaccines may be available in 2016.
The Food and Drug Administration in the US says it is fast-tracking a vaccine that has shown encouraging signs in monkeys for phase 1 trials in September.The Food and Drug Administration in the US says it is fast-tracking a vaccine that has shown encouraging signs in monkeys for phase 1 trials in September.
This type of trial is the earliest study in humans and aims to make sure that drugs are safe and show some chance of working.This type of trial is the earliest study in humans and aims to make sure that drugs are safe and show some chance of working.
What are the chances of success?What are the chances of success?
Experts say that pharmaceutical companies are unlikely to invest the huge resources needed to develop new drugs when these would likely be used only occasionally in relatively small numbers of people. They say investment is needed from international agencies to have any realistic chance of success in the future. Experts say pharmaceutical companies are unlikely to invest the huge resources needed to develop new drugs when these would probably be used only occasionally in relatively small numbers of people. They say investment is needed from international agencies to have any realistic chance of success in the future.
The use of experimental treatments and vaccines has also raised ethical dilemmas. The World Health Organization (WHO) is convening a panel of medical ethicists to explore the use of experimental treatments.
It says the recent treatment of two health workers with experimental medicine has raised questions about whether medicine that has never been tested and shown to be safe in people should be used in the outbreak and if it is used, who should receive it.
"We are in an unusual situation in this outbreak. We have a disease with a high fatality rate without any proven treatment or vaccine," says Dr Marie-Paule Kieny, Assistant Director-General at the WHO.