Dr. Shariful Haque Priom

A major international clinical trial evaluating two potential treatments for Ebola has begun in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), where a deadly outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain has resulted in hundreds of deaths and placed immense pressure on the country’s healthcare system.

The announcement was made by Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), who confirmed that the first participant has been enrolled in the Platform Adaptive Randomized Trial for New and Repurposed Filovirus TreatmentS (PARTNERS). The study aims to determine whether experimental therapies can improve survival rates among patients infected with the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or targeted treatments.

According to the WHO, the ongoing outbreak has caused 438 deaths and 1,406 confirmed infections. The Bundibugyo strain is highly infectious and has posed a significant public health challenge since the outbreak was first identified. In response to the escalating crisis, the WHO declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in May following laboratory confirmation of cases in both the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.

Professor Amanda Rojek, Operations Lead for the PARTNERS trial, emphasized the importance of conducting research while outbreak response efforts are underway. She noted that one of the most important lessons learned from previous Ebola emergencies is that scientific research should be integrated into the emergency response rather than delayed until outbreaks have subsided. She said the urgent need for effective therapies makes the trial a critical component of the international response.

The WHO-backed study is being conducted through a collaboration involving DR Congo’s National Institute of Biomedical Research, University of Oxford, the Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, and several other international partners. Researchers will evaluate the effectiveness of two investigational treatments: antiviral drug remdesivir, developed by Gilead Sciences, and MBP134, an antibody-based therapy developed by Mapp Biopharmaceutical. Participants will receive either one of the therapies individually or a combination of both, alongside standard supportive medical care. Their health outcomes, including survival over a 28-day period, will be closely monitored.

The current health emergency marks DR Congo’s 17th recorded Ebola outbreak since the virus was first identified in the country in 1976. While DR Congo remains the epicenter, neighboring Uganda has also confirmed 20 Ebola infections and two related deaths, underscoring concerns about regional transmission.

International concern has also grown after France reported its first confirmed Ebola case late last month. The patient, a physician, had recently returned from a humanitarian mission in DR Congo, highlighting the potential for cross-border spread through international travel.

Health officials continue to warn that the outbreak is unfolding under exceptionally difficult conditions. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported that healthcare facilities in Ituri Province—the center of the outbreak—are under severe strain as medical teams contend with limited resources and increasing patient numbers. The humanitarian situation has been further complicated by years of armed conflict affecting Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu provinces, where violence and displacement have disrupted access to healthcare and hindered disease surveillance.

Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said approximately $1.4 billion will be required to mount an effective response to the outbreak, nearly three times the organization’s previous funding estimate. The increased financial requirement reflects the scale of the health emergency and the logistical challenges of delivering medical assistance in conflict-affected regions.

Public health experts hope that the PARTNERS clinical trial will generate critical evidence on the safety and effectiveness of promising Ebola therapies while strengthening the global response to one of the world’s most dangerous infectious diseases. If successful, the study could pave the way for the first targeted treatments against the Bundibugyo strain and improve preparedness for future Ebola outbreaks across Africa.