The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced on Thursday the launch of clinical trials for two potential treatments for the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with the first patient enrolled in the study.
The study also aims to evaluate the effectiveness of combining the two treatments against the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has been experiencing an outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain since May, with more than 1,400 confirmed cases and 400 deaths recorded by the end of June.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the availability of safe and effective treatments would help save more lives. Amanda Rojek, the study's lead investigator and Associate Professor at the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, stressed the importance of conducting research alongside efforts to respond to disease outbreaks.
Roger Kamba, Minister of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, expressed hope that the study's findings would help save lives during the current outbreak and strengthen preparedness for future epidemics.
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