Advocacy groups urge US to share experimental Ebola drug for outbreak trials

NEW YORK – A clutch of advocacy groups on June 16 urged the US government to make an experimental Ebola treatment by Mapp Biopharmaceutical available for clinical trials and emergency use in countries responding to the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak.

Their letter to the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) sought coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO), Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, governments of the countries affected and medical humanitarian groups.

The groups called for sharing the treatment, MBP134, and any other requested experimental therapies in US possession.

The privately held biotech firm’s monoclonal antibody treatment was developed through a ​longstanding public-private partnership supported by BARDA to address Sudan virus, which is ⁠closely related to other ebolaviruses.

The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has increased to 837, including 196 deaths, government data showed on June 16.

A small number of experimental vaccines and therapies are being assessed, but there are no approved vaccines or treatments for Bundibugyo.

The WHO has recommended prioritising experimental treatments for the strain, including MBP134.

BARDA owns MBP134 doses and has committed at least US$241 million (S$308 million) to Mapp for its development, said the letter signed by Public Citizen, Health Global Access Project, AVAC, Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, Doctors for America, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and National Advocacy Centre of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd.

The groups said the US has confirmed it would make the therapy available to high-risk Americans, but has not said whether doses will be shared for trials or emergency use in affected countries.

The signatories urged the US to include global access commitments in future research agreements for medical products developed with public funding. REUTERS