Geneva, Switzerland - The trial of two potential treatments for the Bundibugyo species of Ebola behind the deadly outbreak in the DR Congo began in the country on Thursday, the World Health Organization said.
There are no approved vaccines or treatments for the rare strain, which has been spreading in the northeastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
There have been 1,406 confirmed cases and 438 confirmed deaths in the DRC, while 208 people have recovered from the virus, according to figures from the WHO.
"Today, the clinical trial of two therapeutics began, with the enrolment of the first patient," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters.
The trial is evaluating the monoclonal antibody MBP134 and the antiviral drug remdesivir, alone and in combination.
"Patients who enroll in the trial will receive comprehensive supportive care and close follow-up," Tedros insisted. "We are also working to ensure they have access to the two drugs should they prove safe and efficacious in the trial."
The outbreak is heavily centered in the DRC's Ituri province.
Vasee Moorthy, who leads the WHO's research and development blueprint arm, said the trial would begin in one treatment facility in Ituri before gradually expanding to others in the province.
He said patients would be randomized into four groups: those who receive remdesivir; MBP134; neither; or both, to see if the combination provides additional benefits.
The numbers of patients required would depend on how effective the therapeutics appear to be: the more effective they are, the fewer patients who would be needed, Moorthy said.
More than 1,000 cases in outbreak of rare Ebola strain
He said the trial would take months and could even run into next year, and might require more than 1,000 patients to produce definitive answers. He said the trial already had enough remdesivir and MBP134 for 1,200 patients to be enrolled.
Ensuring post-trial access to any product that proves safe and efficacious "is absolutely central to our thinking", he insisted.
The case fatality rate in the DRC is currently 31%.
"Even without approved therapeutics, people are recovering from this disease, but of course, we could save many more lives with safe and effective therapeutics in our toolkit," said Tedros.