[ad_1]
LONDON – The World Health Organization says Congo has launched the first-ever trial to test the efficacy and safety of four experimental Ebola drugs, the first time scientists have compared such treatments directly.
In a statement released Monday, the US health agency described the initiative as "a giant step" that "would clarify what works best". To date, more than 160 people have been treated with these experimental drugs. Patients will not be treated very differently, but scientists will now have a clinical trial framework for data collection.
The drugs tested are three antibody treatments and one antiviral. So far, in the current epidemic in Congo, there have been 346 confirmed cases of Ebola and 175 deaths.
The epidemic has been undermined by security concerns, with some health workers having been attacked by rebels.
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, disseminated, rewritten or redistributed.
[ad_2]
Source link
