Experimental Ebola drug cured 100% of monkeys tested

[mac68DC]

"In what scientists are calling a "monumental achievement," an experimental medication called ZMapp ? given on a compassionate basis to a handful of Ebola victims in the current outbreak ? cured 100% of monkeys treated in a Canadian study, researchers announced Friday."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/08/29/ebola-zmapp-success-monkeys/14793487/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=usatodaycomnation-topstories

 

[Gemineye]

Experimental Ebola drug ZMapp cures 100 percent of lab monkeys

Experimental Ebola drug ZMapp cures 100 percent of lab monkeys

By Sharon Begley
NEW YORK Fri Aug 29, 2014 1:00pm EDT

Aug 29 (Reuters) - The experimental Ebola drug ZMapp cured all 18 of the lab monkeys infected with the deadly virus, including those suffering the fever and hemorrhaging characteristic of the disease and just hours from death, scientists reported on Friday.

Even monkeys not treated until five days after infection survived. No other experimental Ebola therapy has ever shown success in primates when given that long after infection; the five days is analogous to nine to 11 days after infection in people...

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/29/health-ebola-treatment-idUSL1N0QY0XJ20140829

 

[sharon sanders]

Re: Experimental Ebola drug cured 100% of monkeys tested

hat tip Michael Coston for the link


Reversion of advanced Ebola virus disease in nonhuman primates with ZMapp

Xiangguo Qiu, Gary Wong, Jonathan Audet, Alexander Bello, Lisa Fernando, Judie B. Alimonti, Hugues Fausther-Bovendo, Haiyan Wei, Jenna Aviles, Ernie Hiatt, Ashley Johnson, Josh Morton, Kelsi Swope, Ognian Bohorov, Natasha Bohorova, Charles Goodman, Do Kim, Michael H. Pauly, Jesus Velasco, James Pettitt, Gene G. Olinger, Kevin Whaley, Bianli Xu, James E. Strong, Larry Zeitlin et al.
AffiliationsContributionsCorresponding authors
Nature (2014) doi:10.1038/nature13777
Received 05 August 2014 Accepted 21 August 2014 Published online 29 August 2014

Abstract• Introduction• Selecting for the best mAb combinations• ZMapp1 or ZMapp2-treated NHPs• ZMapp-treated NHPs• ZMapp cross-reacts with Guinea EBOV• Discussion• Methods• References• Acknowledgements• Author information• Extended data figures and tables

Without an approved vaccine or treatment, Ebola outbreak management has been limited to palliative care and barrier methods to prevent transmission. These approaches, however, have yet to end the 2014 outbreak of Ebola after its prolonged presence in West Africa.

Here we show that a combination of monoclonal antibodies (ZMapp), optimized from two previous antibody cocktails, is able to rescue 100% of rhesus macaques when treatment is initiated up to 5 days post-challenge.

High fever, viraemia and abnormalities in blood count and blood chemistry were evident in many animals before ZMapp intervention. Advanced disease, as indicated by elevated liver enzymes, mucosal haemorrhages and generalized petechia could be reversed, leading to full recovery. ELISA and neutralizing antibody assays indicate that ZMapp is cross-reactive with the Guinean variant of Ebola. ZMapp exceeds the efficacy of any other therapeutics described so far, and results warrant further development of this cocktail for clinical use.

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vnfv/ncurrent/full/nature13777.html