Ebola vaccine may be available before yearend

Ebola has been around in humans for at least the past three decades, and a cure has been long in coming—though a vaccine may finally be close at hand.

 

The current Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak is the largest outbreak since 1976. The current case and death count is larger than those of all past outbreaks combined, according to the World Health Organization.

 

The epidemic has reached such great heights that many have come to lose hope.

 

“One of the things driving fear and panic is the belief that there is no treatment for Ebola virus disease,” said Marie-Paule Kieny, assistant director-general for WHO’s health systems and innovation.

 

Volunteers and health workers from all around the world are currently working hand-in-hand to combat the fast spread of the virus across West Africa. 

 

Early Zmapp success

 

On August 2, missionary worker Dr. Kent Brantly was flown to a hospital in Atlanta, United Steates for treatment. A few days later, another US missionary, Nancy Writebol was also infected and flown to Emory University Hospital, the same hospital as Brantly. By August 8, WHO approved the use of unproven drugs or vaccines in an attempt to curb the outbreak.

 

A major breakthrough was achieved on August 21 when both Brantly and Writebol were deemed infection-free and released from the hospital after they had received an experimental treatment called Zmapp. The drug was developed through a collaboration between Mapp Biopharmaceutical, Inc., LeafBio, Defyrus, Inc., the US government, and the Public Health Agency of Canada.

 

Another US missionary, Dr. Rick Sacra, was flown out of Liberia on September 3. A week later, attending physicians announced that he was showing an improvement in his condition after receiving an unidentified experimental drug.

 

"He looks great in person," Dr. Phil Smith, medical director of the Biocontainment Unit at the Nebraska Medical Center, said in a press statement. "We're hopeful the latest round of lab data reflects what we're seeing in his room."

 

Viable vaccine candidates

 

Parallel to the progress of Zmapp, the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced on August 28 that they had also developed a possible Ebola vaccine. The experimental vaccine was deemed promising during pre-clinical research conducted on non-human primates, and is based on chimpanzee adenovirus type 3 (ChAd3).

 

According to Kieny, there are currently two leading vaccine candidates; the first is ChAd3 formulated by GSK, and the second is the vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) vaccine developed by NewLink Genetics Corp. Safety results could be available by November this year.

 

“This would open the way for use in affected countries, initially on healthcare workers and other front line staff as advised by the ethics panel that met recently to look at the ethics of use of these medicines against Ebola,” said Kieny.

 

On September 17, Ruth Atkins became the first volunteer out of 60 to receive an injection of GSK's experimental vaccine. The study is currently being led by professor Adrian Hill at Oxford. At the same time, a companion study is being conducted in the US at NIH.

 

“I volunteered because the situation in West Africa is so tragic and I thought being part of this vaccination process was something small I could do to hopefully make a huge impact,” Atkins said.

 

As of September 19, clinical trials of both ChAd3 and VSV are set to begin soon in Switzerland, according to its Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH). Involving 100 participants, Swiss TPH is just waiting for the go-ahead from its government before it begins the trials.

 

UN Mission established

 

The UN approved the resolutions for the creation of the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER) on September 19, declaring the hub of the Mission to be in Accra, Ghana. 

 

This is the first time that a mission has been created for a public health emergency.

 

“This unprecedented outbreak requires an unprecedented response,” said Dr. David Nabarro, the UN Secretary General’s Senior Coordinator for the Ebola Response. “The number of cases have doubled in these countries in the last three weeks. To get in front off this, the response must be increased 20-fold from where it is today.” — TJD, GMA News