U.S. government officials are pushing forward plans to increase production of the newest and most promising experimental Ebola drug, ZMapp, with the intention of using it to treat infected people in West Africa, but supplies of the drug are expected to be limited to signifcantly less than what would be required to meet demands of the epidemic.
The drug is created from tobacco plants, and the Department of Health and Human Services is currently in advanced talks with the company Caliber Biotherapeutics, who has some of the best production capabilities, reported The New York Times. However, production quantities are expected to be no more than hundreds or thousands of treatment courses by early next year.
And as for the long term, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Wellcome Trust, along with the federal government, are attempting to produce ZMapp in animal cells, which is the more conventional method used by the biotechnology industry, said The New York Times. While it would take longer than using tobacco plants, "it would allow for greater output by tapping into the biotechnology industry's huge production capacity."
It's always best to arrange production from multiple manufacturers using various methods, a federal official told The New York Times under conditions of anonymity, adding, "Caliber is certinaly one we're considering."
ZMapp proved effective in protecting monkeys from Ebola even when it was administered five days into the infection. And while it may have helped a few people who were infected, there was only enough for seven people, two of whom died, said The Times.
Because of the novelty of the drug, experts say it is impossible to tell how well it works, but due to ZMapp containing proteins called monoclonal antibodies, which attach to the virus and neutralize it, it could be the best current solution.
