Context

Ebola virus is no longer incurable; Congo trial reports over 90 percent success.

About

• Ebola virus disease (EVD), also known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF), is a viral hemorrhagic fever of humans and other primates caused by ebolaviruses.
• Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is a rare and deadly disease in people and nonhuman primates.
• The viruses that cause EVD are located mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. People can get EVD through direct contact with an infected animal (bat or nonhuman primate) or a sick or dead person infected with Ebola virus.
• Signs and symptoms typically start between two days and three weeks after contracting the virus with a fever, sore throat, muscular pain, and headaches. Vomiting, diarrhea and rash usually follow, along with decreased function of the liver and kidneys.

Success of two drugs being investigated to treat the Ebola virus

• Two experimental drugs showed survival rates of as much as 90% in a clinical trial in Congo.
• Two experimental drugs – an antibody cocktail called REGN-EB3 developed by Regeneron and a monoclonal antibody called mAb114 – will now be offered to all patients infected with the viral disease in an ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
• The drugs showed “clearly better” results, according to U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
• The two promising drugs are made from Ebola antibodies – a protein produced by the immune system to defend against infection. Regeneron's product is a cocktail of three Ebola antibodies, while mAb114 is a single antibody developed by scientists at NIAID.