1. Perspectives on Advancing Countermeasures for Filovirus Disease: Report From a Multisector Meeting.
- Author
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Sprecher A, Cross R, Marzi A, Martins KA, Wolfe D, Montgomery JM, Spiropoulou CF, Cihlar T, Ahuka-Mundeke S, Nyhuis T, Teicher C, Crozier I, Strong J, Kobinger G, Woolsey C, Geisbert TW, Feldmann H, and Muyembe JJ
- Subjects
- Humans, Disease Outbreaks prevention & control, Africa, Filoviridae, Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola prevention & control, Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola epidemiology, Filoviridae Infections, Ebolavirus
- Abstract
Although there are now approved treatments and vaccines for Ebola virus disease, the case fatality rate remains unacceptably high even when patients are treated with the newly approved therapeutics. Furthermore, these countermeasures are not expected to be effective against disease caused by other filoviruses. A meeting of subject-matter experts was held during the 10th International Filovirus Symposium to discuss strategies to address these gaps. Several investigational therapeutics, vaccine candidates, and combination strategies were presented. The greatest challenge was identified to be the implementation of well-designed clinical trials of safety and efficacy during filovirus disease outbreaks. Preparing for this will require agreed-upon common protocols for trials intended to bridge multiple outbreaks across all at-risk countries. A multinational research consortium including at-risk countries would be an ideal mechanism to negotiate agreement on protocol design and coordinate preparation. Discussion participants recommended a follow-up meeting be held in Africa to establish such a consortium., Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. T. C. is a full-time employee of Gilead Sciences and holds stock or stock options in the company. T. N. holds stock or stock options in Mapp Biopharmaceutical. H. F. and T. W. G. claim intellectual property for VSV-based viral hemorrhagic fever vaccines. G. K. has received grants or contracts from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency for a phase 1 clinical trial of an Ebola vaccine boost (ended in March 2023). All other authors report no potential conflicts. All authors have submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. Conflicts that the editors consider relevant to the content of the manuscript have been disclosed., (Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America 2023.)
- Published
- 2023
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