Experimental Ebola Treatment Reported Safe

The investigational Ebola treatment mAb114 was reported being safe, well-tolerated, and easy to administer, according to the results from a small, early-stage clinical study published on January 25, 2019. 

This is good news since the Ebola virus outbreak in Africa has already claimed 443 lives as of January 24, 2019. 

And, according to the World Health Organization, this Ebola outbreak is spreading into additional African cities. 

mAb114, a single monoclonal antibody, binds to the core receptor binding domain of the Zaire ebolavirus surface protein, preventing the virus from infecting human cells. 

Scientists isolated the antibody from a human survivor of the 1995 Ebola outbreak in Kikwit, DRC. 

Prior studies showed that mAb114 can protect monkeys from lethal Ebola virus disease when given as late as 5 days after infection. 

mAb114 is 1 of 4 treatments currently being offered to Ebola patients in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) under compassionate use and as part of a Phase 2/3 clinical trial of multiple investigational treatments. 

Eighteen healthy adults received the monoclonal antibody as part of a Phase 1 clinical trial that began in May 2018 at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. 

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Vaccine Research Center (VRC), part of NIH, developed the investigational treatment and conducted and sponsored the clinical trial. 

These researchers noted several advantages for deploying mAb114 in an outbreak setting, including the ease and speed of its administration, and its formulation as a freeze-dried powder that does not require freezer storage. 

The powder is reconstituted with sterile water and added to saline for administration. 

In addition to the ongoing Phase 2/3 clinical trial of mAb114 in the DRC, the VRC is planning to initiate another Phase 1 trial of the investigational treatment in Africa. 

For more information about clinical trials of mAb114, visit NCT03478891 and NCT03719586.