First patients enrolled in Ebola treatment trial in DRC's Ituri region

Two experimental drugs are now being tested in the Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of a rapid‑response treatment programme launched only six weeks after the World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on 17 May. The trial, the first of its kind in the current crisis, has already enrolled patients, marking a record‑fast start for clinical research in an emergency setting where no approved therapeutic exists for the disease.

Scientists say the dual‑drug regimen could lower the high mortality rates that have plagued the outbreak, offering a potential lifeline for medical teams battling the virus. If the trial demonstrates safety and efficacy, the medicines may become the first officially sanctioned options for Ebola care, providing a critical tool to curb the spread and improve survival outcomes in the region.