Congo launches trial of experimental antiviral pill to prevent Ebola infection
Over 250 people in eastern Congo have joined a trial of Gilead’s antiviral obeldesivir, aiming to stop Ebola after exposure.
A clinical trial in Ituri, eastern Congo has recruited over 250 adults and adolescents who have been in recent contact with confirmed Bundibugyo Ebola cases, testing Gilead’s experimental antiviral pill obeldesivir as post-exposure prophylaxis. Coordinated by the medical NGO ALIMA and partnered with Congo’s National Institute of Biomedical Research and France’s ANRS Emerging Infectious Diseases, the study aims to enroll about 1,000 participants, half of whom will receive a placebo, with daily monitoring for 21 days and a follow-up call at day 42.
Participants include health workers and family members of patients; one enrollee reported no symptoms in her household after her husband tested positive. If symptoms appear, subjects receive immediate supportive treatment. The trial seeks to provide a protective option distinct from vaccines, which are being rolled out to health workers but have uncertain efficacy against this strain.
Ongoing challenges include recruiting people from remote areas and retaining participants after family deaths. Success could offer a new tool to curb the fastest-moving Ebola outbreak in Congo, which has recorded over 8,300 cases and 4,000 deaths.
Why it matters
A proven prophylactic pill could halt transmission of Congo's deadliest Ebola outbreak and save thousands of lives.
How this story developed
- Aug 23 Ebola toll in DRC climbs to over 5,500 cases as Pope calls for global aid
- Aug 31 The epidemic has spread to the Biena and Manguredjipa health zones, increasing the total number of affected zones to 60.
- Sep 1 More than 50,000 vaccine doses arrived for frontline workers.
- Sep 2 Confirmed cases rise to 6,186 and deaths increase to 3,007.
- Sep 13 A case confirmed in South‑Ubangi marked the virus’s spread to a seventh province.
- Sep 17 Confirmed cases have risen to over 7,200 and deaths to more than 3,500 since the outbreak was first declared.
- Sep 21 Vaccination of frontline health workers began in Ituri province.
- Sep 27 WHO confirmed spread of the Bundibugyo strain to the Bulu and Dungu health zones.
- Oct 2 South Ubangi province reported its first cases, expanding the outbreak to a seventh region.
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