The World Health Organisation (WHO) has launched an international clinical trial in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to evaluate two experimental treatments for Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD), a rare form of Ebola, as the country battles an ongoing outbreak.
The trial, known as the Platform Adaptive Randomised Trial for New and Repurposed Filovirus TreatmentS (PARTNERS), began enrolling patients on Thursday, WHO said in a statement.
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The study will assess whether the monoclonal antibody MBP134 and the antiviral drug remdesivir can reduce deaths among people infected with the Bundibugyo virus. Researchers will also investigate whether combining the two medicines provides better outcomes than using either treatment alone.
The trial is sponsored by WHO and coordinated by the Institut National pour la Recherche Biomédicale (INRB) in the DRC, the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Belgium and the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is supported by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and other international research and humanitarian partners.
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Search for effective treatment
The trial comes as the DRC continues to battle a Bundibugyo virus outbreak that has infected more than 1,400 people and claimed 440 lives, highlighting the urgent need for effective treatment.
WHO said there are currently no approved medicines specifically for Bundibugyo virus disease, although treatments exist for some other Ebola virus species.
“The trial comes as the DRC continues to grapple with a Bundibugyo virus outbreak that has infected more than 1,400 people. Nearly 210 patients have recovered, while about 440 people have died, underscoring the urgent need for effective treatment options.”
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According to the organisation, the WHO Technical Advisory Group selected MBP134 and remdesivir after reviewing available scientific evidence, including laboratory findings, safety data and lessons from previous Ebola outbreaks.
Participants in the study will be monitored for at least 28 days after enrolment while receiving supportive care, including fluid replacement, oxygen therapy, blood pressure management and pain relief in line with WHO treatment guidelines.
WHO Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, said the trial offers hope to patients and affected communities.
“The PARTNERS trial, established with national authorities and scientific partners in record time, offers real hope that we can deliver concrete results for and with the communities at the heart of the outbreak.”
He noted that while some patients recover without specific treatment, effective medicines could significantly improve survival.
Why the trial matters
WHO said the adaptive design of the study allows researchers to add and evaluate new treatments as scientific evidence emerges, enabling a faster response during disease outbreaks.
Amanda Rojek, PARTNERS Trial Operations Lead at the Pandemic Sciences Institute, University of Oxford, said one of the major lessons from previous Ebola outbreaks was that research should be conducted alongside emergency response efforts rather than after outbreaks have ended.
She said the study could generate evidence quickly enough to guide treatment decisions during the current outbreak, potentially producing results within months.
The Director-General of the Institut National pour la Recherche Biomédicale, Jean-Jacques Muyembe-Tamfum, said integrating the trial into routine patient care would allow patients to access promising investigational therapies while helping scientists improve responses to future outbreaks.
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“By integrating this trial into clinical care, we are giving patients access to promising investigational treatments while generating the evidence needed to improve care for current and future outbreaks,” he said.
The DRC’s Health Minister, Samuel Kamba, described the launch of the PARTNERS trial as a major milestone for the country’s public health response, expressing optimism that it could identify more effective treatments, save lives during the current outbreak and strengthen global preparedness for future Ebola outbreaks.
Ebola
Bundibugyo virus disease is one of the six known species of the Ebola virus. It was first identified in Uganda in 2007 and causes symptoms similar to other forms of Ebola, including fever, severe weakness, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, internal and external bleeding.
Unlike the Zaire strain of Ebola, for which licensed vaccines and treatments exist, there are currently no approved vaccines or medicines specifically targeting the Bundibugyo virus.
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