The drug for Ebola is still experimental, but doctors have high hopes for it. It is a preparation called ZMapp, thanks to which several people with hemorrhagic fever have already been cured. A second Ebola drug, JK-05, is also expected to appear on the market. It is a preparation that has been developed by Chinese scientists. Check out how the Ebola drug works.
Ebola drugis a chance to controlthe epidemic of hemorrhagic fever , through which in four West African countries - Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Nigeria, more than 1,500 people have already died. And that number may increase as the epidemic spreads to more African countries. The World He alth Organization (WHO) estimates that the number of people infected with the deadly virus may exceed 20,000
Ebola drug - ZMapp
Scientists have the greatest hopes for the experimental drug ZMapp. It allowed the cure of two people suffering from hemorrhagic fever. They are Americans: a 33-year-old doctor, Kent Brantly, and a 59-year-old nurse - Nancy Writebol, who have already been discharged from the hospital in Atlanta (USA).
The drug ZMapp is a mixture of the three most effective antibodies so far, the so-called monoclonal antibodies. As Dr. James Hamblin from the hospital in Atlanta, which looked after two patients, explains, these substances are produced by infecting animals with the Ebola virus. Once infected, scientists collect antibodies that have been made by the animals' immune systems to make a drug. The antibodies used to develop ZMapp came from mice infected with the haemorrhagic fever virus. These substances, administered to the patient's body, bind Ebola virus proteins and initiate the body's defense reaction.
The drug has been shown to be 100% effective when tested in monkeys. The preparation was administered to 18 rhesus monkeys (monkeys of the macaque family) infected with the Ebola virus. All survived, even those given the drug at a late stage of the disease (5 days after infection). Specialists considered it a great success and decided to use the experimental preparation in humans, but only because of the unique situation. Unfortunately, the drug is not 100% effective in humans. Of the seven patients given ZMapp, two (a Liberian doctor and a Spanish priest) died despitetreatment.
According to the manufacturer of the drug ZMapp, the stocks of the preparation have been exhausted and the production of its next batches may take several months. All because obtaining the three antibodies that make up the drug is a complicated and time-consuming procedure.
Ebola drug - JK-05
Another drug for Ebola - JK-05 - was developed by a team of Chinese scientists led by prof. Wang Hongquana of the Military Institute of Microbiological Epidemiology. Researchers discovered the drug 5 years ago, and have since tested it on animals. The preparation has also passed safety tests on humans. However, despite this, specialists decided that it would only be used in a life-threatening situation of patients infected with the Ebola virus. The drug is expected to be approved for production soon.
Will there be an Ebola vaccine?
Professionals are working not only on a drug, but also on a vaccine against the Ebola virus. According to the US National Institutes of He alth, in mid-September, American scientists will test a vaccine for this deadly disease on humans.