Researchers Launch Ebola Treatment Study as Congo Outbreak Intensifies

On July 2, 2026, researchers launched a clinical trial in eastern Congo to test two potential treatments, Gilead Sciences' remdesivir and Mapp Biopharmaceutical's MBP134, against the rare Bundibugyo Ebola virus. The outbreak has infected over 1,400 people and killed 438. Due to regional violence targeting healthcare workers, the randomized trial is currently limited to a single treatment center in Ituri province.

Ebola treatment trial in Congo

• ▪The World Health Organization-supported trial is a collaboration between Congo's national biomedical research institute, Oxford University, and Antwerp's Institute of Tropical Medicine
• ▪Researchers began a clinical study of two potential Ebola treatments on July 2, 2026, in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

Bundibugyo virus outbreak scale

• ▪As of July 2, 2026, more than 1,400 people have been diagnosed with the Bundibugyo virus and 438 have died in Congo
• ▪More than 200 people have recovered from the Bundibugyo virus outbreak in Congo after receiving standard supportive care
• ▪The Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, which lacks approved specific treatments or vaccines

Remdesivir drug candidate

• ▪Gilead Sciences donated a sufficient supply of remdesivir to support the clinical trial in eastern Congo
• ▪Gilead Sciences’ remdesivir, an antiviral approved for COVID-19, is being tested in Congo because laboratory tests suggest it may fight the Bundibugyo virus

MBP134 antibody candidate

• ▪Mapp Biopharmaceutical’s experimental MBP134 consists of engineered antibodies designed to target Ebola viruses, including the Bundibugyo strain
• ▪The United States government funded the research for MBP134 and donated the doses for the clinical trial in Congo

Violence against healthcare workers

• ▪Health officials plan to expand the Ebola treatment trial to other locations in Congo once safety conditions improve
• ▪The Ebola treatment trial is restricted to one center in Congo's Ituri province due to regional violence targeting healthcare workers

Trial design with randomization

• ▪World Health Organization research adviser Dr. Vasee Moorthy cautioned that the trial could require months and up to 1,000 participants
• ▪Trial participants will receive standard care and be randomly assigned to receive remdesivir, MBP134, both, or neither
• ▪Researchers will track the survival of trial participants for 28 days after starting treatment to evaluate drug efficacy