Ebola Drug Trial Begins in Liberia

A clinical drug trial to treat Ebola has started at a Medecins Sans Frontieres centre in Liberia.

The antiviral, brincidofovir is being tested on Ebola patients on a voluntary basis.

Oxford University scientists leading the research say initial results are expected in the next few months.

“It must be stressed that it is not a miracle cure and it is still not known whether it will help patients survive the virus,” the group said.

Brincidofovir is an antiviral drug being developed to treat several types of viruses, including one that infects patients undergoing bone marrow transplants.

More than 8,000 people have died from Ebola during this current outbreak, the majority in the worst-affected countries of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Liberia has seen the highest fatality rate with 3,471 deaths, followed by Sierra Leone and Guinea.