The new drug has been coded GS-5734 and it has been developed by the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. The new compound has yet to be reported to a peer-reviewed journal; however, the U.S. Army has put out a research brief.
Ebola virus disease (EVD) describes the human disease which is caused by any of four of five known Ebola viruses. Ebola is an unpleasant disease. After an incubation time that can stretch to 21 days, one of the common signs of the disease is bleeding from mucous membranes and puncture sites. The main reason for the difficulty in tackling the virus is because of genetic mutations termed ‘escape variants.’ With Ebola, these mutations block the ability of antibody-based treatments to prevent infection.
Considerable work went into finding the precursor to GS-5734 (a small-molecule antiviral agent.) Once this molecule was identified, the focus switched to refining and developing the drug compound. Once this stage was complete, evaluation trials took place.
Evaluation began with cell culture work and then moved onto animal testing. With the animal trials, monkeys were infected with Ebola and then, on the third day, administered with the drug. The trials, reportedly, led to a 100 percent survival rate. As well as surviving the quantity of the virus (viral load) was substantially decreased and the physical signs of the disease, such as bleeding, tailed off significantly.
The premise behind the medication is that if a compound can block the mechanism by which the virus replicates, so that it is no longer making copies of itself, then the body’s own immune system has a chance to fight the virus.
The compound not only seems successful against Ebola. In trials it was found to be capable of resisting Lassa virus, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus, and Marburg virus.
The next phase is to test out the drug against healthy human volunteers if this gains U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance. If this is deemed unethical, permission will be sought to go from animal trials to using the drug “in the field” on people who are suspected of being infected with an Ebola virus.
