The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Friday experts had agreed
that blood-derived drug therapies and serum from survivors may be used
for treatment of Ebola virus, and called for investment in the
experimental drugs.
“There is a real opportunity that blood-derived products can be used
now. This can be very effective in terms of treating patients,” WHO
assistant director-general Marie-Paule Kieny told a news conference.
“With the negative point that we have so many patients, one positive
point is there are also many people now who are convalescent, who
survived and are doing well, These people can provide blood, serum to
treat,” she said.
“What is available will be used in the field to treat real patients as soon as possible.”
Two “promising” Ebola vaccines have also been identified, and safety
results from clinical trials in the United States, Europe and Africa may
be available from this November, paving the way for their use, Kieny
said.
The two vaccines are made by GlaxoSmithKline Plc and NewLink
Genetics, according to WHO documents submitted to the two-day talks
attended by nearly 200 experts. “These must be prioritised in terms of
clinical development,” Kieny said.
When the initial results are received on the vaccines’ safety,
expected in November, they will be given to health care workers in the
field as a priority, with their informed consent, she said.
“If we have good safety data, if the results are positive, they will
start to be used in health care workers in order to protect and also to
evaluate if it protects them,” Kieny said.
(Reuters)
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