A new study published in the journal Science Advances shows that American scientists have successfully tested the antiviral drug obeldesivir, an oral form of remdesivir (a drug to treat Covid-19), on monkeys infected with the Ebola-Zaire virus.
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| Medical staff work at the Ebola treatment center at Mubende hospital, Uganda. (Source: THX/TTXVN) |
This advance opens the door to hope for more effective and economical treatments for humans.
Ebola - a disease first discovered in 1976 - is known for its high mortality rate and ability to spread rapidly through bodily fluids.
Although the World Health Organization (WHO) approved the Ervebo vaccine in 2019, it is not effective against all strains of the virus. Current treatments using intravenous antibodies also have limitations in terms of cost and feasibility, especially in poor areas.
Faced with this situation, American scientists have been trying to find a simpler and more effective solution. They tested the antiviral drug obeldesivir, an oral form of remdesivir (a drug to treat Covid-19), on monkeys infected with the Ebola-Zaire virus.
The results were impressive: obeldesivir completely cured rhesus macaques, the animal most biologically similar to humans. The drug not only killed the virus but also stimulated the monkeys’ immune systems, helping them develop antibodies.
"We're really trying to find something that's more practical, easier to use, that can help prevent, control, and contain the disease," said Thomas Geisbert, a virologist at the University of Texas who led the research team.
One of the main advantages of obeldesivir is that it is broad-spectrum, meaning it can work against multiple strains of the Ebola virus, unlike current antibody treatments. It is also being tested against the Marburg virus, a virus related to Ebola.
However, the study was only conducted on a limited number of monkeys. Geisbert also warned that the Trump administration's plans to cut research funding could affect the progress of developing drugs and vaccines against Ebola.
However, this research result still brings new hope for the fight against Ebola. If successfully developed, obeldesivir in pill form will be a powerful weapon, helping to prevent this dangerous disease from spreading and taking human lives.
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