Tag Archives: Ebola

Ebola and the WHO

It is remarkable how this pandemy threatens the rules seemingly carved in stone concerning untested medicines. What has been valid before i.e. never to use a medicine until a benefit could be proven is gone en face of the actual crisis. The Science magazine has reacted, too, and has put in the Open Access Paper that were published till now that dealt with Ebola. Among these now free papers is a decription how the rules of the WHO have changed. Martin Enserink from Amsterdam writes very clearly of the change of paradigmata at the WHO. Nice reading!

A treatment for Ebola?

CNN reports today  that the two Americans which were infected with Ebola while fighting the disease in Africa received an experimental drug from Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc (San Diego) and improved. There are obviously other untested drug ready to test. This drug is a mouse monoclonal antibody which raises many question about safety and rejection.

Even a vaccine is in the pipeline, but will only be tested  from September on. Since the patients are usually not able to pay for the treatment and profit not at all expected, few companies dare to develop a medicine. But hopefully this is the beginning of fighting this devasting infection.