These Experimental Ebola Treatments and Vaccines Might Help Slow the Outbreak Spreading in the Congo and Uganda, WHO Says

Michel Lunanga via Getty Images Ebola is currently wreaking havoc in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda. More than 1,000 confirmed or suspected cases of the rare but severe disease, including more than 200 deaths, have been reported from the two countries as of late May, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a rare species for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments. On May 28, the WHO announced a slew of experimental therapeutics for Ebola that experts recommend for priority testing to slow the spread of the deadly disease. The global agency will work with the DRC and Uganda’s governments to research the products, which include candidate vaccines and repurposed treatments for Covid-19.

Among them is obeldesivir, a pill developed by the California-based pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences. It was originally created for Covid-19, although it is not currently approved for that use in the United States. The WHO identified this drug as a possible way to prevent disease after exposure to the Bundibugyo virus, and researchers are preparing to launch a trial in the countries affected by the outbreak.