Ebola Treatment Trial Launched in DRC Amid Growing Outbreak

Sun Sep 06 2026 01:20:30 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

WHO starts a clinical trial of two therapeutics against Bundibugyo Ebola strain in the DRC, enrolling the first patient amid 1,400+ cases.

The World Health Organization has launched a clinical trial for two experimental treatments targeting the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus responsible for an ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. The first patient was enrolled in the DRC, which now reports over 1,400 confirmed cases and 438 deaths. The study, co‑ordinated by WHO and partners in Belgium and the UK, aims to provide safe, effective therapeutics for a highly infectious strain that currently has no approved vaccines or treatments. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the urgency of adding new therapeutics to the global response, while public health officials warn the outbreak continues to spread across borders.

Ebola Treatment Trial Launched in DRC Amid Growing Outbreak

WHO begins clinical trial of two experimental treatments for the Bundibugyo Ebola strain. The first patient was enrolled in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday.

Congolese health workers receive a patient at the Rwampara General Hospital

Outbreak statistics: 1,406 confirmed cases, 301 suspected cases and 438 deaths in the DRC as of 30 June; 20 confirmed cases and 2 deaths reported in Uganda; 1 confirmed case in France.

The Bundibugyo strain is highly infectious and currently has no approved vaccines or treatments. WHO Scientific Coordination Centre in Geneva said the trial is supported by the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (DRC), the Institute of Tropical Medicine (Belgium) and the University of Oxford (UK).

"The clinical trial of two therapeutics began, with the enrolment of the first patient. Even though some people are recovering without approved therapeutics, we could save many more lives with safe and effective treatments in our toolkit," said WHO Director‑General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The outbreak first appeared in May and has been declared a public health emergency by WHO. The Ebola virus, usually carried by fruit bats, can spill over to humans when infected animals are handled. Symptoms appear two to 21 days after exposure, starting with flu‑like fever, headache, fatigue and progressing to severe disease. No vaccine is available for the specific species involved, highlighting the urgent need for effective therapeutics.