DRC to launch trial of two Ebola treatments as scientists seek to cut deaths

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Healthcare workers disinfect a stretcher after transporting a patient suffering from the Ebola virus disease from an ambulance at the Ebola Treatment Center in Bunia, Ituri, in the east of the DRC on June 23, 2026. [AFP]

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is set to begin a clinical trial next week to evaluate two potential treatments for the ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, in what could mark a major step forward in efforts to reduce deaths from the disease.

The trial will assess whether the antivirals MBP134 and remdesivir can improve survival among patients infected with Bundibugyo virus disease, either when administered individually or in combination.

Announcing the development, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said preparations for the study had been completed and the trial was ready to begin.