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Review
. 2017;9(3):299-317.
doi: 10.1007/s40506-017-0130-z. Epub 2017 Aug 4.

Discovering Drugs for the Treatment of Ebola Virus

Sandra L Bixler  1 , Allen J Duplantier  1 , Sina Bavari  1
Affiliations
Review

Discovering Drugs for the Treatment of Ebola Virus

Sandra L Bixler et al. Curr Treat Options Infect Dis. 2017.

Abstract

Purpose of review: Ebola virus, a member of the Filoviridae family, is a causative agent of severe viral hemorrhagic fever in humans. Over the past 40 years, the virus has been linked to several high mortality outbreaks in Africa with the recent West African outbreak resulting in over 11,000 deaths. This review provides a summary of the status of the drug discovery and development process for therapeutics for Ebola virus disease, with a focus on the strategies being used and the challenges facing each stage of the process.

Recent findings: Despite the wealth of in vitro efficacy data, preclinical data in animal models, and human clinical data, no therapeutics have been approved for the treatment of Ebola virus disease. However, several promising candidates, such as ZMapp and GS-5734, have advanced into ongoing clinical trials.

Summary: The gravity of the 2014-2016 outbreak spurred a heightened effort to identify and develop new treatments for Ebola virus disease, including small molecules, immunotherapeutics, host factors, and clinical disease management options.

Disclaimer: Opinions, interpretations, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the authors and are not necessarily endoresed by the U.S. Army.

Keywords: Ebola virus; Pharmacokinetic; Therapeutic; Viral hemorrhagic fever.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest

Sandra L. Bixler, Allen J. Duplantier, and Sina Bavari declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

References

References and Recommended Reading

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance
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