Ebola virus disease fears have intensified as a second nurse at Texas Presbyterian Hospital was tested positive for Ebola, as per preliminary tests. The nurse provided care to the index patient (Thomas Eric Duncan) who later died of the disease. What is concerning is that the nurse traveled through an airline when she may have been already suffering from Ebola, which in turn could have put other passengers and those in contact with them at risk.
The WHO has declared the Ebola epidemic a public health emergency of international concern. As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports, the current outbreak of the disease has affected almost nine thousand people worldwide with Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea being the worst affected. Ebola has a high fatality rate of around 50% and approximately half of the nine thousand patients affected are already dead.
Fears about the deadly virus coupled with the lack of any approved treatment for Ebola brings the spotlight on companies researching an Ebola vaccine or treatment.
Companies in Focus
Currently, all the Ebola candidates are in the early (preclinical or phase I) stages of development.
The U.S. government bodies like the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the Department of Defense's Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority are working closely and providing support as welll as funding to the companies developing vaccines/treatments targeting Ebola. While GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is collaborating with the NIH, NewLink Genetics Corp. (NLNK) is working with DTRA to develop an Ebola vaccine.
Several companies are developing candidates for Ebola including Allergan, Inc. (AGN) which has ZMapp in preclinical stage. Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (INO) and GeneOne Life Science Inc. intend to start the human trial on Ebola vaccine in the first half of 2015 while BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s (BCRX) candidate BCX4430 is in the preclinical stage.
Tekmira Pharmaceuticals (TKMR) is also developing an Ebola candidate, TKM-Ebola (phase I). Earlier this year, the FDA had confirmed that it has modified the full clinical hold on TKM-Ebola to a partial clinical hold. The move allowed the potential use of TKM-Ebola in patients who have a confirmed Ebola infection and individuals suspected of being infected with the disease.
Meanwhile, this week, Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc. (SRPT) announced its Ebola candidate demonstrated no clinical or toxicologic safety concerns in a phase I study.
The Way Forward
Although authorities are working to control the outbreak of this contagious disease, fears of the Ebola outbreak escalating to pandemic status remain. The FDA is working to expedite the approval process for these Ebola candidates. In view of these factors, we believe investors will remain glued on Ebola vaccine/treatment related updates and companies working on Ebola therapies stand to make the most of it.
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