WHO Launches Trial For Bundibugyo Ebola Treatment

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday announced the start of patient enrolment for a major international clinical trial aimed at identifying the first effective treatment for Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD), a strain of Ebola, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

In a post on its official X account, WHO said the Platform Adaptive Randomised Trial for New and Repurposed Filovirus Treatments (PARTNERS) will evaluate whether two antiviral therapies, the monoclonal antibody MBP134 and remdesivir, can improve survival among patients with confirmed BVD.

The organisation said researchers will also assess whether combining the two treatments provides greater clinical benefit.

The trial is sponsored by WHO and coordinated by the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB) in the DRC, the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Belgium, and the University of Oxford, in collaboration with international research, clinical and humanitarian partners, with support from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

According to WHO, more than 1,400 people have been infected during the current outbreak in the DRC, with nearly 210 recoveries and about 440 deaths.

The organisation noted that although approved treatments exist for other forms of Ebola virus disease, there is currently no approved therapy for Bundibugyo virus disease.

WHO said the selected treatments were recommended by its Technical Advisory Group after reviewing available scientific evidence, including preclinical studies, safety data and findings from previous Ebola outbreaks. It added that patients enrolled in the trial will receive close medical monitoring for at least 28 days.

WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, said the trial offers renewed hope for affected communities despite the absence of approved therapeutics.

“Even without approved therapeutics, people are recovering from this disease, but we could save many more lives with safe and effective treatments,” he said, noting that the trial was established with national authorities and scientific partners in record time.

The platform trial is designed to allow additional treatment candidates to be introduced as new evidence emerges.

PARTNERS Trial Operations Lead and Associate Professor at the Pandemic Sciences Institute, University of Oxford, Professor Amanda Rojek, said the study reflects lessons from previous outbreaks that research should be conducted alongside emergency response efforts rather than after outbreaks end.

She said findings generated during the outbreak could guide patient care within months instead of years.

Director-General of INRB, Professor Jean-Jacques Muyembe-Tamfum, said integrating the trial into routine clinical care would give patients access to promising investigational therapies while generating evidence to improve treatment during future outbreaks.

WHO said the randomised controlled trial is open to patients of all ages with confirmed Bundibugyo virus disease. Participants will receive standard supportive care, including fluid replacement, oxygen therapy, blood pressure management and pain relief, in line with WHO treatment guidelines.

DRC Minister of Health, Dr Samuel Kamba, described the launch of the trial as a major step in the country’s response to the outbreak, saying it demonstrates the nation’s commitment to science and research.

He expressed optimism that the study would identify more effective treatment options capable of saving lives during the current outbreak while strengthening global preparedness for future Ebola outbreaks.

The trial is being conducted in partnership with the DRC Ministry of Public Health, ALIMA (The Alliance for International Medical Action), and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), with oversight from an independent data and safety monitoring board.