Some researchers claim a new nucleotide-based strategy that targets the Marburg virus genome may be used to treat post exposure prophylaxis. Other scientists contest the viral stain used in the experiments raises concern about the drug's potency in a human outbreak, according to Medscape.
Here are six notes:
1. Researchers have been working on treatments for post exposure prophylaxis including recombinant virus-based vaccines, antibody-based therapies as well as lipid-encapsulated small interfering RNAs.
2. The U.S. Department of Defense Joint Product Management Office of BioDefense Therapeutics funded much of the research.
3. The study reported post exposure dosing with a phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer, AVI-7288, protected nonhuman primates from a fatal dose of MARV.
4. This dosing additionally appeared safe in humans.
5. The research team was led by Alison Heald, MD. She is a clinical associate professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle as well as the former senior director of clinical development of Sarepta Therapeutics.
6. Researchers only tested the drug against the Musoke variant of Marburg, which is less dangerous than the Angola strain.
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