Researchers launch study on Ebola treatments as Congo outbreak worsens
Summary
Researchers have started a study to test two possible treatments for a growing Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo. The outbreak involves a rare type of Ebola virus called Bundibugyo, for which there are no approved treatments or vaccines.Key Facts
- More than 1,400 people in Congo have been diagnosed with the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, and 438 have died.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) began enrolling participants in the study on July 2, 2026.
- The study is testing two drugs: remdesivir, an antiviral medicine, and MBP134, an experimental antibody treatment.
- All patients in the trial will receive standard care plus one or both drugs, or neither, to compare results.
- Survival of participants will be tracked for 28 days after treatment begins.
- The trial is currently only at one treatment center in Congo’s Ituri province due to safety concerns.
- Researchers hope the trial will show if either treatment improves survival and can be scaled up in the future.
- The study is a collaboration between Congo’s national research institute, Oxford University, Antwerp’s Institute of Tropical Medicine, and international health organizations.
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