Ebola drug trials to be fast-tracked in West Africa

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Experimental Ebola drugs including compounds from Mapp Biopharmaceutical, Sarepta and Tekmira will be tested in affected West African states for the first time in a bid to fast-track trials, the Wellcome Trust said on Tuesday.

Announcing a 3.2 million pound ($5.25 million) grant for the work, the global health charity said the money would “enable multiple partners around the world to quickly establish clinical trials at existing Ebola treatment centers.”

An Ebola epidemic in West Africa has killed more than 2,800 people since it began in Guinea earlier this year, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has said up to 20,000 people could be affected before it is brought under control.

Source: Reuters (link opens in a new window)

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Health Care
Tags
infectious diseases, vaccines