WHO begins clinical study for an antiviral drug against Ebola

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Tuesday the launch of the first clinical study to evaluate the efficacy of the antiviral drug obeldesivir in patients exposed to the deadly Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which affects the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The study, named EBO-PEP, aims at post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for individuals who have come into contact with confirmed cases. Obeldesivir, an experimental drug developed by Gilead Sciences, has shown efficacy in preclinical tests against viruses from the filovirus family. WHO Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the importance of this study, stating that an effective treatment could represent a significant advance in disease prevention.

Currently, there are no recognized vaccines or treatments for the Bundibugyo variant, which has infected over 1,960 people and led to over 700 deaths. The epidemic was declared on May 15, and cases continue to be reported in several provinces of the DRC, especially in Ituri.

WHO has warned that the actual number of infections could be two to four times higher than official figures.