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Scientists plan to test a new Ebola virus vaccine on humans in the near future
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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One of the pharmaceutical giants, GlaxoSmithKline, plans to conduct clinical trials on humans in the near future of a new vaccine against the Ebola virus, the outbreak of which has forced American health officials to cooperate with pharmaceutical companies and scientists. The new vaccine is the first in the world and there is no official permission to use the drug. Given that the Ebola virus, an epidemic of which recently broke out in West Africa, has already claimed the lives of more than a thousand people and doctors predict that the situation will only worsen further, the emergence of a vaccine is extremely necessary.
The new drug against Ebola has already been tested on animals, in particular on primates, and the results of the experiment were quite successful. Testing of the vaccine on people is planned for early autumn this year. However, even if the tests are successful, the general availability of the drug should not be expected before 2015. The specialists developed the new vaccine based on the chimpanzee adenovirus, into which several Ebola virus genes were “planted”. The drug does not contain any hazardous materials, and adenoviruses cause the development of colds. When it enters cells, the contents of the drug are released, the virus genes stimulate the formation of protein, which in turn causes an immune response of the body. Adenoviruses themselves do not reproduce. In addition, by the beginning of 2016, one of the divisions of Johnson & Johnson's plans to conduct its own clinical trials of the vaccine, which should provide protection against viruses that belong to the same group as the Ebola virus.
The World Health Organization is concerned about the outbreak of the virus in Africa and believes that the disease could threaten global security. The Ebola virus has already infected about two thousand people, and the mortality rate from the disease has increased to 60%.
In the United States, authorities are already beginning to recall their representatives who helped volunteers and doctors in West Africa. Companies operating in Africa are doing the same. Anyone returning from the danger zone is quarantined for three weeks. A state of emergency has already been declared in Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and Liberia.
As the US Agency for International Development noted, more than $12 million is needed to suppress the virus. The European Union has allocated about $11 million to eliminate the epidemic.
The epidemic in West Africa could threaten global security, scientists believe. It is possible that the virus could spread beyond Africa, so there are high hopes for the new drug. Doctors recently discovered similar symptoms in a woman who returned from Africa. The woman was quarantined and is now under observation.
The virus is transmitted by contact - through the skin and mucous membranes. You can become ill with Ebola fever by using clothes, devices or personal hygiene products of an infected person. Particular caution should be exercised by those who have recently arrived from African countries and at the first symptoms of illness you should immediately consult a doctor.
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