First-ever Multidrug Ebola Trial Launches

Article

More than 160 patients have thus far been treated with investigational therapeutics under an ethical framework developed by WHO.

Officials with WHO's Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have announced that the first-ever, multidrug, randomized control trial has begun to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of drugs used in the treatment of Ebola patients. This trial forms part of a multioutbreak, multi-country study that was agreed to by partners under a WHO initiative.

More than 160 patients have thus far been treated with investigational therapeutics under an ethical framework developed by WHO, in consultation with experts in the field and the DRC, called the Monitored Emergency Use of Unregistered and Investigational Interventions (MEURI). The MEURI protocol was not designed to evaluate the drugs. Now that protocols for trials are in place, patients will be offered treatments under that framework in the facilities where the trial has started. In others, compassionate use will continue up to the time when they join the randomization. Patients will not be treated noticeably differently from before, though the treatment they receive will be decided by random allocation. The data gathered will become standardized and will be useful for drawing conclusions about the safety and efficacy of the drugs.

In October, WHO convened a meeting of international organizations, United Nations partners, countries at risk of Ebola, drug manufacturers and others to agree on a framework to continue trials in the next Ebola outbreak. Over time, this will lead to an accumulation of evidence that will help to draw robust conclusions across outbreaks about the currently available drugs, and any new ones that may come along.

At the heart of the long term plan and the current trial is always the goal to ensure that patients with Ebola and their communities are treated with respect and fairness. All patients should be provided with the highest level of care and have access to the most promising medications.

The current trial is coordinated by WHO, and led and sponsored by the DRC’s National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB), in partnership with the DRC Ministry of Health, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) which is part of the United States’ National Institutes of Health, The Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA) and other organizations.

Related Videos
Laboratory test tubes and solution with stethoscope background | Image Credit: Shutter2U - stock.adobe.com
Image credit: Andrea Izzotti
Inflation Reduction Act is shown using the text and the US flag - Image credit: Andrii | stock.adobe.com
Pharmacy Interior | Image Credit: Tyler Olson - stock.adobe.com
Male pharmacist selling medications at drugstore to a senior woman customer | Image Credit: Zamrznuti tonovi - stock.adobe.com
Pharmacist assists senior woman in buying medicine in pharmacy - Image credit: Drazen | stock.adobe.com
Pharmacy, medicine and senior woman consulting pharmacist on prescription. Healthcare, shopping and elderly female in consultation with medical worker for medication box, pills or product in store - Image credit: C Daniels/peopleimages.com | stock.adobe.com
Image credit: fidaolga - stock.adobe.com
Pharmacists checking inventory at hospital pharmacy- Image credit: Jacob Lund | stock.adobe.com
Young male pharmacist giving prescription medications to senior female customer in a pharmacy | Image Credit: Zamrznuti tonovi - stock.adobe.com
© 2023 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.