Trial of potential Ebola antiviral underway, says WH
The World Health Organization has launched a clinical trial called EBO-PEP to test the effectiveness of the antiviral drug obeldesivir in treating people exposed to the Bundibugyo Ebola strain. The trial aims to determine if the drug can prevent high-risk contacts from developing the disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Why it matters
Finding an effective post-exposure treatment for the Bundibugyo Ebola strain could significantly reduce mortality rates in ongoing outbreaks where no approved vaccines currently exist.
Health: Trial of potential Ebola antiviral underway, says WH
Trial of potential Ebola antiviral underway, says WHO
The trial, called EBO-PEP, aims to assess the effectiveness of the antiviral obeldesivir in post-exposure prophylaxis for people who have been in contact with confirmed Bundibugyo cases.
Health workers in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) simulate using a manikin the evacuation protocols of deceased victims of Ebola during a training by medical charity, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to reinforce regional emergency response capacity for Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) at Ongata Rongai, Kajiado County in Kenya on July 10, 2026. (AFP)
__________________ GENEVA - The first clinical trial is underway of an antiviral drug's effectiveness in people exposed to the deadly Ebola strain spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the WHO said Tuesday.
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