U.S. frees up another experimental Ebola drug

[Bob Of Burleson]

NewVision.co.uk

WASHINGTON - US regulators loosened restrictions on a new experimental drug for treating Ebola, which may allow it to be tried on infected patients in West Africa, the company said yesterday.

The Canada-based company, Tekmira, said the US Food and Drug Administration changed the classification of its drug TKM-Ebola from full clinical hold to partial hold.

"This action enables the potential use of TKM-Ebola in individuals infected with Ebola virus," said a company statement.

Tests on monkeys have shown the drug provided 100 percent protection from an otherwise lethal dose of Ebola, the company said.

. . .

The two American missionaries who were evacuated from Liberia in recent days were given a different experimental serum known as ZMapp.

Both Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol are improving, but health authorities say it is too early to tell if the drug had anything to do with that.

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[GFB]

This drug is racist.