An experimental pill that blocks the Ebola virus from multiplying in the body has successfully treated monkeys with the infection, according to a US study.
If left untreated the Ebola virus is fatal in nine out of 10 people. It spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids and leads to severe bleeding and organ failure. Although vaccines and new treatments exist, their use in sub-Saharan Africa, where Ebola outbreaks are most common, is challenging.
Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch tested a new antiviral drug, Obeldesivir, which is similar to Remdesivir, an injectable treatment for Covid-19.
To reduce the number of animals used without compromising the study’s relevance and reliability of the data, cynomolgus macaque and rhesus macaque monkeys were infected via a natural transmission route, using eye drops containing a high dose of Ebola virus, roughly 30,000 times the lethal dose for humans.
A day after infection, 10 monkeys received a daily Obeldesivir pill for 10 days. This oral treatment prevented death in at least 80% of the monkeys, showing promise for future human applications.
As well as clearing the virus from the monkeys’ blood, Obeldesivir triggered an immune response, helping the animals develop defences against future infection while also preventing organ damage.
The drug is already being tested in humans infected with the Marburg virus, a close relative of Ebola.
Thomas Geisbert, lead researcher of the study in Science Advances, highlighted the drug’s potential: “For outbreak response, oral antivirals might present substantial advantages over now approved intravenous drugs, such as easy supply, storage, distribution, and administration.”
Unlike monoclonal antibody treatments, which are costly and only effective against specific Ebola variants, Obeldesivir appears to offer broad protection, making it a potentially game-changing antiviral treatment not only for Ebola but for other deadly viruses.