Breakthrough Clinical Trial Launches to Test New Ebola Bundibugyo Virus Treatments in DRC

The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched the PARTNERS clinical trial in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to identify the first effective treatments for Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD).

The initiative arrives as the DRC faces a significant outbreak of BVD. According to the WHO, more than 1,400 people have been diagnosed with the disease, resulting in nearly 440 deaths and nearly 210 recoveries. While treatments exist for other forms of Ebola virus disease, the WHO reports that no approved therapeutics currently exist specifically for BVD, and no single treatment has proven effective across all virus types that cause Ebola diseases.

PARTNERS Trial Design and Treatment Protocols

The Platform Adaptive Randomised Trial for New and Repurposed Filovirus TreatmentS (PARTNERS) is structured as a platform trial. This design allows researchers to add new treatments to the study as they become available, following a review by the WHO Technical Advisory Group. The group selected MBP134 and remdesivir for the initial phase after reviewing preclinical research, safety data, and evidence from previous outbreaks.

The trial is a randomized, controlled study enrolling patients of any age with confirmed BVD. Participants receive close support and follow-up for at least 28 days after enrollment. To ensure a baseline of care, participating treatment units provide early supportive care according to WHO guidelines, which includes:

• Oral or intravenous fluids
• Electrolyte replacement
• Oxygen support
• Blood pressure management
• Pain control

International Coordination and Research Partnerships

The WHO sponsors the trial, which is coordinated by the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB) in the DRC, the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Belgium, and the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. These entities work alongside the Africa CDC and various humanitarian partners.

Implementation is carried out in partnership with the DRC Ministry of Public Health, the Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA), and outbreak response teams from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). An independent data and safety monitoring board will regularly review the study data to ensure patient safety.

Integrating Research Into Active Outbreak Response

Medical officials emphasize the necessity of conducting research during the outbreak rather than after it concludes. Professor Amanda Rojek, PARTNERS Trial Operations Lead and Associate Professor of Health Emergencies at the University of Oxford’s Pandemic Sciences Institute, stated that this approach allows evidence to inform patient care in months rather than years.

Even without approved therapeutics, people are recovering from this disease, but of course, we could save many more lives with safe and effective therapeutics in our toolkit. The PARTNERS trial, established with national authorities and scientific partners in record time, offers real hope that we can deliver concrete results for – and with – the communities at the heart of the outbreak.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General

Prof Jean-Jacques Muyembe-Tamfum, Director-General of the INRB, noted that integrating the trial into clinical care provides patients access to investigational treatments while generating data for future outbreaks. Dr Samuel Roger Kamba, Minister of Health of the DRC, described the launch as a step toward strengthening global preparedness for future Ebola epidemics.