WASHINGTON – A recent study has revealed that monkeys infected with Ebola can be cured using a pill, potentially leading to more accessible and cost-effective treatment options for humans.
Initially recognized in 1976 and believed to have jumped species from bats, Ebola is a lethal viral infection transmitted via direct exposure to infected body fluids, leading to critical hemorrhaging and organ dysfunction.
Since outbreaks mainly impact Sub-Saharan Africa, pharmaceutical firms haven’t had strong financial reasons to create remedies, plus the unpredictable occurrence of these outbreaks has complicated conducting clinical trials.
The approval of a vaccine occurred as recently as 2019. Although two intravenous antibody therapies enhance patient outcomes, these treatments demand expensive cold storage facilities and pose challenges for administration in many of the globe’s least developed areas.
"We’re genuinely attempting to develop something that is more practical and user-friendly, which can aid in preventing, managing, and containing outbreaks,” stated Dr. Thomas Geisbert, a virologist from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, who headed the recent research featured in Science Advances, during an interview with AFP.
In their experiment, Geisbert and his team evaluated the antiviral Obeldesivir, which is an oral version of intravenous Remdesivir initially created for treating Covid-19.
Obledesivir acts as a "polymerase inhibitor," which means it hinders an essential enzyme required for viral reproduction.
The researchers exposed both rhesus and cynomolgus macaques to a large amount of the Makona strain of the Ebola virus.
One day following their exposure, ten monkeys were administered an Obeldesivir pill every day for a period of ten days. In contrast, three control monkeys did not receive any form of treatment and subsequently passed away.
Obaldesivir safeguarded 80 percent of the cynomolgus macaques and all of the rhesus macaques, species that have biological similarities closer to ours.
Not only did the medication eliminate the virus from the treated monkeys' bloodstream, but it also prompted an immune reaction, aiding in antibody production without causing harm to their organs.
Geisbert mentioned that even though the number of monkeys used was fairly limited, the research maintained strong statistical significance since these animals were subjected to an extremely high dosage of the virus — about 30,000 times what would be fatal for humans. Consequently, this approach minimized the requirement for extra control primates, thereby reducing superfluous loss of life among the test subjects.
The researcher, who began studying Ebola in the 1980s and is known for discovering the Reston strain, highlighted as particularly promising about Obeldesivir its "wide-ranging" protective effects. This contrasts with currently authorized antibody therapies which are effective solely against the Zaire species of Ebola.
"That’s a significant benefit," Geisbert stated.
The pharmaceutical company Gilead is now moving Obeldesivir into Phase 2 clinical trials for the treatment of Marburg virus, which is closely related to Ebola.
Geisbert also highlighted the significance of financial support from the US National Institutes of Health, against the backdrop of reports indicating that numerous grants have been revoked during President Donald Trump's tenure.
"All these medications and vaccinations created for Ebola as well as many of these rare viruses and pathogens — 90% of the funding originates from the U.S. government," he stated, further noting, "I believe the broader public would concur that we require therapies for Ebola." – AFP