Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
The PARTNERS (Platform Adaptive Randomised Trial for New and Repurposed Filovirus TreatmentS) clinical trial has begun enrolling patients with Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus (BVD) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of two antiviral treatments—a monoclonal antibody called MBP134 and the antiviral remdesivir—both separately and in combination, to determine if they improve survival rates for people with BVD.
The initiative is sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and coordinated by the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB) of the DRC, the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Belgium, and the University of Oxford in the UK. It includes international research, clinical, and humanitarian partners, supported by Africa CDC.
Since the outbreak began, over 1,400 people have been diagnosed with BVD in the DRC, with nearly 210 recoveries and around 440 deaths reported. While effective therapies exist for other Ebola virus diseases, no approved treatments are currently available specifically for Bundibugyo virus disease.
The antiviral therapies being tested were selected by the WHO Technical Advisory Group based on a comprehensive evaluation of scientific evidence, including preclinical studies, safety data, and information from past outbreak responses. Patients enrolled in the trial will receive close follow-up for at least 28 days after enrolment.
The PARTNERS trial is designed as a platform trial, allowing additional treatments to be incorporated and assessed as they become available and are reviewed by the WHO Technical Advisory Group. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that, although some recoveries occur without approved therapeutics, safe and effective treatments would greatly improve survival. He described the PARTNERS trial as a rapid, collaborative scientific effort offering hope for practical solutions for affected communities.