The Ebola Drug Pipeline The World Health Organization has said that it is ethical to use unproven drugs in the current epidemic. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration has granted expanded access to several experimental drugs for use on Ebola patients. The drugs prevent replication of Ebola virus and the vaccines work by triggering an immune response. The drugs and vaccines listed here are in clinical trials and have received support for further development, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Animals Trials Healthy volunteers Small group of patients Large group of patients Approved for use ZMapp Brincidofovir Drugs TKM-Ebola Favipiravir AVI-7537 BCX4430 ChAd3 Vaccines VSV-EBOV Animals Trials Human Trials Approved for use ZMapp Brincidofovir TKM-Ebola Drugs Favipiravir AVI-7537 BCX4430 ChAd3 Vaccines VSV-EBOV

What Patients Have Been Given Outside West Africa A dozen patients outside West Africa have been treated with experimental drugs. Because the sample size is small and many patients have received multiple treatments, it is difficult to determine whether a particular drug has been effective. Oslo London Frankfurt Paris Omaha Nebraska Medical Center Madrid Bethesda, Md. N.I.H. Clinical Center Dallas Atlanta Emory University Hospital Countries with Ebola outbreaks ZMapp Brincidofovir TKM-Ebola Favipiravir Blood transfusion Not disclosed London Frankfurt Madrid Dallas Atlanta Countries with Ebola outbreaks ZMapp Brincidofovir TKM-Ebola Favipiravir Blood transfusion Not disclosed

Treatments in West Africa Doses of ZMapp were sent to Monrovia, Liberia, in August to treat three doctors who contracted Ebola. One doctor died. Currently, there are no doses of ZMapp available, and even a few months from now, there may only be a few hundred doses.



Because of the peril of the situation, W.H.O. officials agreed to prioritize convalescent blood and plasma therapies for treatment. Convalescent therapy, which injects blood from recovered patients into sick patients, has had promising results. But there are major questions about its safety and efficacy in countries with inefficient health systems and a shortage of medical staff. Host cell Ebola virus Viral RNA The Ebola virus infects cells by punching into the cell and injecting a small piece of viral RNA. The RNA hijacks the machinery of the cell and uses it to create more copies of the Ebola virus, which in turn infect other cells. Antibodies Ebola virus Ebola survivors have antibodies against the Ebola virus in their blood. Antibodies are Y-shaped proteins that can latch on to a specific virus and prevent it from infecting cells, possibly helping patients to fight the infection. Host cell Ebola virus Antibodies Viral RNA Ebola virus The Ebola virus infects cells by punching into the cell and injecting a small piece of viral RNA. The RNA hijacks the machinery of the cell and uses it to create more copies of the Ebola virus, which in turn infect other cells. Ebola survivors have antibodies against the Ebola virus in their blood. Antibodies are Y-shaped proteins that can latch on to a specific virus and prevent it from infecting cells, possibly helping patients to fight the infection.