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To those of you worried about a global outbreak: USAMRIID is closing in on a highly effective (near 100%) treatment for Ebola. So far it is 100% successful in m

To those of you worried about a global outbreak: USAMRIID is closing in on a highly effective (near 100%) treatment for Ebola. So far it is 100% successful in macaques, which is a good animal model for the disease in humans. The project lead spoke to my research group - his talk about Ebola, and some of the cultural and geographic challenges in fighting it, was fascinating.

mieseratte 7y ago
Could you elaborate on those challenges?
- jbob2000 7y ago
  The doctors and medical staff are mostly white, while the people they are treating are mostly black. To the ignorant, this would appear like an attempt at a genocide or recolonization.
  - mieseratte 7y ago
    Is that actually the case on the ground, some type of "the doctors are actually the ones making us sick" scenario?
    - HarryHirsch 7y ago
      That's absolutely the case: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/congo-s-ebola-response-threatened-conspiracy-theories-rumors-n994156 https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/congo-s-ebola-response-th...
- i_am_nomad 7y ago
  For one thing, some of the burial practices and rituals in the region pose significant risks of communicating Ebola. And, when health workers recommend suspending those practices, those recommendations are not well-received.
patagonia 7y ago
Is it effective for all current strains and future mutations of Ebola?
- maxerickson 7y ago
  It appears to be effective against a range of viruses: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remdesivir https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remdesivir But of course there's no guarantee, it's not really a great question when it comes to biology.
asdf21 7y ago
Near 100% successful in preventing death specifically? Are there other health issues for survivors?
phkahler 7y ago
There are vaccines being tested on people in DRC right now. Is there any data coming back on those? I dont care much about macaques.
- i_am_nomad 7y ago
  As I mentioned, macaques are in this case a pretty good predictor for efficacy in humans. I don’t have data on the human trials though.
- kjs3 7y ago
  Fortunately, you aren't in the medical field, and no ones life relies on what you "care" about.
jlmorton 7y ago
U.S. Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases is doing the important testing work, but the novel drug is GS-5734 / Remdesivir from Gilead Sciences. https://www.gilead.com/purpose/advancing-global-health/ebola https://www.gilead.com/purpose/advancing-global-health/ebola
- i_am_nomad 7y ago
  Right, thank you for the clarification, I should have been specific about that.
TallGuyShort 7y ago
I'm curious to learn more about how well we can ramp up production and distribution of such drugs in the event of a fast-moving pandemic. With Ebola you have 1-2 weeks after symptoms before death is likely. You have a few more weeks after exposure, but you might not know you're exposed and I would assume the treatment needs time and can't save you at the last minute. If everyone around was clamoring for treatment, could you get your hands on it that fast?
- i_am_nomad 7y ago
  Sorry, I don’t know much about large-scale production of that type of compound, it’s not my field. But, I would question the premise, in that Ebola is not a likely candidate for a fast-moving pandemic.
  - TallGuyShort 7y ago
    ... well now I'm curious to what the likely candidates are :) This is one of those topics I could just sit and learn about all day, I think it's fascinating. If you or someone else in your research group were willing to do an AMA, I would thoroughly enjoy that.

mieseratte 7y ago

Could you elaborate on those challenges?

jbob2000 7y ago
The doctors and medical staff are mostly white, while the people they are treating are mostly black. To the ignorant, this would appear like an attempt at a genocide or recolonization.
- mieseratte 7y ago
  Is that actually the case on the ground, some type of "the doctors are actually the ones making us sick" scenario?
  - HarryHirsch 7y ago
    That's absolutely the case: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/congo-s-ebola-response-threatened-conspiracy-theories-rumors-n994156 https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/congo-s-ebola-response-th...
i_am_nomad 7y ago
For one thing, some of the burial practices and rituals in the region pose significant risks of communicating Ebola. And, when health workers recommend suspending those practices, those recommendations are not well-received.

patagonia 7y ago

Is it effective for all current strains and future mutations of Ebola?

maxerickson 7y ago
It appears to be effective against a range of viruses: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remdesivir https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remdesivir But of course there's no guarantee, it's not really a great question when it comes to biology.

asdf21 7y ago

Near 100% successful in preventing death specifically? Are there other health issues for survivors?

phkahler 7y ago

There are vaccines being tested on people in DRC right now. Is there any data coming back on those? I dont care much about macaques.

i_am_nomad 7y ago
As I mentioned, macaques are in this case a pretty good predictor for efficacy in humans. I don’t have data on the human trials though.
kjs3 7y ago
Fortunately, you aren't in the medical field, and no ones life relies on what you "care" about.

jlmorton 7y ago

U.S. Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases is doing the important testing work, but the novel drug is GS-5734 / Remdesivir from Gilead Sciences. https://www.gilead.com/purpose/advancing-global-health/ebola https://www.gilead.com/purpose/advancing-global-health/ebola

i_am_nomad 7y ago
Right, thank you for the clarification, I should have been specific about that.

TallGuyShort 7y ago

I'm curious to learn more about how well we can ramp up production and distribution of such drugs in the event of a fast-moving pandemic. With Ebola you have 1-2 weeks after symptoms before death is likely. You have a few more weeks after exposure, but you might not know you're exposed and I would assume the treatment needs time and can't save you at the last minute. If everyone around was clamoring for treatment, could you get your hands on it that fast?

i_am_nomad 7y ago
Sorry, I don’t know much about large-scale production of that type of compound, it’s not my field. But, I would question the premise, in that Ebola is not a likely candidate for a fast-moving pandemic.
- TallGuyShort 7y ago
  ... well now I'm curious to what the likely candidates are :) This is one of those topics I could just sit and learn about all day, I think it's fascinating. If you or someone else in your research group were willing to do an AMA, I would thoroughly enjoy that.