First Treatment for Ebola Gets Green Light

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first-ever medication to treat Ebola virus.

This medication is found under the brand name Inmazeb. It contains three monoclonal antibodies: atoltivimab, maftivimab and odesivimab-ebgn.

Approved to treat both adults and children, Inmazeb is effective against the Zaire ebolavirus (Ebola virus), according to the FDA. This medication is to be administered into the vein as an infusion.

Zaire ebolavirus, one of four Ebolavirus species, is spread through blood, body fluids, and tissues of people and wild animals who have the virus. The virus, which is potentially fatal, can also be spread through materials like contaminated bedding and clothing.

This medication's safety and efficacy were studied in people infected with the virus in a clinical trial referred to as the PALM trial.

The PALM trial was led by the US National Institutes of Health and the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale. Other international organizations and agencies also contributed to these efforts.

Common side effects of Inmazeb included fever, chills, vomiting, and fast heart rate and breathing. These side effects are also common symptoms of Ebola virus, making it difficult to distinguish between side effects and symptoms.

The FDA advised against receiving this medication while receiving Ervebo, the live vaccine that was approved in December 2019 to prevent Ebola. The medication could possibly reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine, the FDA noted.

The FDA granted approval of Inmazeb to Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.