Congo begins trial of Gilead's obeldesivir for Ebola Bundibugyo as outbreak worsens
Congo has begun a clinical trial for Gilead's experimental drug obeldesivir to combat a worsening Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak that has killed over 700 people. The response is being outpaced, with the WHO reporting 80% of new cases are from unknown transmission chains. The trial will test the drug as a post-exposure treatment for a virus that currently has no approved vaccine or therapy.
Outbreak transmission patterns
▪Many newly reported Ebola deaths are of people who died in their communities without ever reaching a health facility.
▪As of July 13, 2026, the Bundibugyo Ebola virus outbreak has resulted in at least 1,926 confirmed cases and 702 deaths in Congo.
▪A U.S. citizen working for a humanitarian organization in Congo tested positive for the Ebola virus on July 11, 2026.
▪The World Health Organization stated that 80% of new Ebola cases in eastern Congo are from unknown chains of transmission.
▪The Africa Centres for Disease Control considers the current Ebola outbreak in Congo to be the fastest-growing on the continent.
Response capacity challenges
▪There is no approved treatment or vaccine for the rare Bundibugyo type of Ebola virus.
▪The World Health Organization has stated the Ebola outbreak is spreading faster than health officials can track and "continues to outpace the response efforts."
▪The response to the Ebola outbreak has been hampered by a funding gap, attacks on health centers, ongoing conflict, and local community mistrust.
Healthcare worker strike
▪The strike prevented patients from accessing the treatment center for at least one day.
▪The striking healthcare workers agreed to return to work on July 14, 2026, on the condition that the government pays them within 72 hours.
▪On July 13, 2026, dozens of healthcare workers at an Ebola treatment center in northeast Congo went on strike over unpaid salaries and bonuses.
Obeldesivir clinical trial
▪Researchers in the Democratic Republic of Congo have begun a clinical trial of Gilead Sciences' experimental antiviral drug, obeldesivir.
▪A separate compassionate-use protocol will provide Gilead's injectable antiviral remdesivir to exposed children under 12 and pregnant or breastfeeding women.
▪The study aims to enroll about 1,000 people aged 12 and older who had high-risk exposure to a confirmed Ebola case within the previous five days.
▪The trial will assess if obeldesivir can work as a post-exposure treatment to reduce the risk of Ebola infection after contact with the virus.
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