A group of advocacy organizations is urging the US government to make an experimental Ebola treatment available for clinical trials and emergency use in countries responding to the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak.

Global Access to Experimental Treatment

The treatment, MBP134, is a monoclonal antibody developed through a public-private partnership supported by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended prioritizing experimental treatments for the strain, including MBP134.

The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has increased to 837, including 196 deaths, according to government data. The US has confirmed it would make the therapy available to high-risk Americans, but has not said whether doses will be shared for trials or emergency use in affected countries.

The advocacy groups, including Public Citizen and Doctors for America, are calling for the US to include global access commitments in future research agreements for medical products developed with public funding.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.