In a high-stakes bid to counter the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, a clinical trial testing two experimental treatments has begun in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo).
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the first patient has already been enrolled in the DR Congo. The launch coincides with an outbreak, first detected in May, that has been designated a public health emergency. Authorities report more than 1,400 confirmed cases and 438 deaths in the DR Congo, with additional cases identified in Uganda and France.
With no approved vaccines or therapies for the Bundibugyo strain, the WHO hopes the study will pinpoint safe, effective options that can drive down fatalities.
