Ebola Could Be Treated With A Pill, Promising Monkey Study Ignites Hope

A new study has discovered that a pill can cure monkeys infected with Ebola, a finding that could change the battle against the lethal virus. Thomas Geisbert, a virologist at The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, who directed the research published in Science Advances, mentioned that his team evaluated the antiviral Obeldesivir, the oral variant of intravenous Remdesivir, initially created for Covid-19 as a possible therapeutic agent.

The scientists infected rhesus and cynomolgus macaques using a large dose of the Makona variant of the Ebola virus. Subsequently, 10 monkeys were given an Obeldesivir pill each day, while three control monkeys did not undergo any treatment and perished.

In the meantime, the pill safeguarded 80 percent of the cynomolgus macaques and 100 percent of the rhesus macaques, which have a closer biological relationship to humans. Mr. Geisbert stated that even though the number of monkeys involved in the trial was quite limited, the findings were statistically significant. The monkeys received an Ebola virus dose that is approximately 30,000 times the fatal dose for humans.

He mentioned that Obeldesivir’s “broad-spectrum” defense, in contrast to other antibody therapies that target only the Zaire strain, was a “significant benefit.” “These findings suggest that ODV treatment affords the opportunity for the development of adaptive immunity while mitigating excessive inflammation, potentially preventing fatal outcomes,” the study highlighted.

Ebola is a viral haemorrhagic fever that was first discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The virus’ natural reservoir animal is suspected to be a species of fruit bat, which does not itself fall ill but can pass the disease on to primates, including humans.

Six of the virus species are known to cause disease in humans — Zaire, Sudan, Bundibugyo, Reston, Tai Forest and Bombali. The first three have resulted in serious outbreaks in Africa, but Zaire has caused the vast majority of cases over the last decade.