An Ebola candidate treatment yielded "encouraging" results in an early-stage trial with 80 patients in Guinea, the French government and medical research agency Inserm said today.
No scientific trial data has yet been made available, but the preliminary results are the first to show efficacy of a candidate treatment against the Ebola virus which has infected 22,495 people and killed 8,981 in the worst outbreak in history, according to the latest tally by the World Health Organization.
"Encouraging results of the trial" with Japanese-manufactured anti-viral drug favipiravir "will be submitted shortly to a scientific journal for publication", an Inserm statement to AFP said.
The results "show a reduction in the number of deaths among adults and teenagers, with slower virus multiplication. Recovery is accelerated," said the Elysee palace.
Inserm is in charge of the trial at a clinic in Gueckedou, in the east Guinea - one of the three countries, with Liberia and Sierra Leone, hardest hit by the outbreak.
It is the largest clinical trial yet with a candidate Ebola treatment, the French statement said.
Inserm said the scientific results will be made public once they have been officially reviewed and validated by the scientific community.
War, Economic Chaos, Extreme Weather Defied Drive To End Hunger In 2023: UN One Of World's Youngest Air Forces Takes To Skies Among Top Guns Senior Papua New Guinea Minister Arrested For Assaulting Woman In Australia 150 mg Semen In Kolkata Doctor's Body, Suspect Gang-Rape: Parents To Court "Want To Ask Congress...": Mamata Banerjee Snaps At Ally In Rape-Murder Case "Attempt To Save Accused Instead Of...": Rahul Gandhi On Doctor Rape-Murder Man Accused Of Raping Minor Girl Who Gave Birth To Stillborn Arrested In UP "Laughable": US On Allegation That It Was Involved In Sheikh Hasina's Exit Pics: Women Reclaim The Night, Demand Justice In Kolkata Doctor Murder Case Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.