WHO to host consultation on potential Ebola therapy, vaccine

The World Health Organization on Thursday said it will host a consultation on potential Ebola therapies and vaccines at its headquarters in Geneva on 4-5 September.

The consultation has been convened to gather expertise about the most promising experimental therapies and vaccines and their role in containing the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

The expertise among the more than 100 participants is wide, ranging from pharmaceutical research and the clinical demands of Ebola care, to expertise on ethical, legal, and regulatory issues. More than 20 experts from West Africa are expected to attend.

Issues of safety and efficacy will be discussed together with innovative models for expediting clinical trials. Possible ways to ramp up production of the most promising products will also be explored.

Presentations about the real conditions and challenges in affected African countries are intended to anchor all discussions and shape the consensus advice that is expected to emerge.

The total number of cases attributed to Ebola virus disease in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone has reached 2,473, including 1,350 deaths.

At present, no cases have been confirmed anywhere else in the world outside these four countries.