These Two Experimental Drugs Against Ebola Virus are successful in Blocking this deadly virus.
According to a report, More than 1,800 people have died in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo since Ebola broke out there in August last year. The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals also called as Zoonotic Disease. Ebola Virus then spreads among human beings through direct contact with the blood, body fluids or other secretions of infected people.
Ebola, a kind of hemorrhagic fever, has a very high rate of mortality rate. Dr. Michael Ryan of the World Health Organization said about 75 percent of those who become infected with this virus and receive no special care die.
The US Health Authority, co-funding the research said that the Two Drugs were under Clinical Trials. These drugs were found to significantly boost survival rates by blocking the Ebola Virus. Researchers believe that The New Experimental Drugs Against Ebola Viruses is a step closer to its effective treatment.
The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) said that the Study had begun last year in The Democratic Republic of Congo but its current phase has been halted and all future patients have been switched over to the treatment. The
majority of the patients undergoing this treatment has shown a positive result.Anthony Fauci, director of the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told that these are the first drugs that have clearly shown a significant decrease in mortality rate among patients suffering from the Ebola Virus disease. These New Experimental Drugs against Ebola Virus have been named REGN-EB3 and mAb114.
Zmapp and remdesivir were two other drugs being used to treat Ebola Patients which are now been discontinued.
The Clinical Trial was designed to include 725 people, but was halted by an independent board when it had enrolled 681 people, Fauci said. This was because one of the drugs, REGN-EB3 by Regeneron, reached a critical threshold in success, while another drug called mAb114 was not far behind. The data has been analyzed for 499 people from the cohort of 681, so far. A decrease in Mortality rate was observed by 29% with REGN-EB3 and by 34% when treated with mAb114. The Mortality rate for Zmapp and remdesivir were 49% and 53% respectively. Some of the drugs namely, REGN-EB3, mAb114, and Zmapp are monoclonal antibodies (MAB) that bind to glycoprotein on the surface of the Ebola virus and neutralize its ability to infect other cells.
The Final result of Data Analysis would be out by October, after which the complete results would be submitted for publication in the peer-reviewed medical literature, Fauci added.
Jeremy Farrar, director of Britain’s Wellcome Trust research charity, said that this trial for Experimental Drugs Against Ebola – will undoubtedly help researchers understand which treatment to administer patients in case of further Ebola Outbreaks.
But, Anthony Fauci believes that a good vaccine is key to eliminate the virus. Other key factors that may help reduce the Outbreak are contact tracing, isolation, and then, ultimately, treatment.
