10/1/2014 Ebola Virus: Nigerian Patients to Be Given Experimental Drug - WSJ

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Ebola Virus: Nigerian Patients to Be Given Experimental Drug

Untested Drug on Way to Lagos to Treat Eight Nigerians

Updated  Aug.  15,  2014  10:21  a.m.  ET

Ebola  victims  in  Nigeria's  commercial  capital  Lagos  will  receive  an  experimental  drugcalled  Nano  Silver,  the  country's  top  health  official  said  on  Thursday,  in  a  step  thatintroduces  a  new  untested  treatment  to  the  fight  against  an  outbreak  in  several  WestAfrican  countries.

Nigeria's  Minister  of  Health,  Onyebuchi  Chukwu,  said  the  experimental  drug  camefrom  a  Nigerian  scientist,  whose  name  he  wouldn't  disclose.  He  said  the  drug,  whichwas  on  its  way  to  Lagos,  would  aim  to  treat  the  eight  Nigerians  who  have  testedpositive  for  Ebola.

The  World  Health  Organization  opened  the  door  for  experimental  Ebola  drugs  thisweek,  after  a  panel  of  ethicists  it  convened  condoned  such  treatments  because  of  thechallenges  controlling  an  outbreak  that  has  killed  at  least  1,069  people.  A  handful  ofmedications  and  vaccines  have  been  developed,  but  not  tested  on  humans.

(Ebola  virus:  West  African  treatment  centers  filling  up  fast).

The  U.S.  began  evacuating  families  of  embassy  personnel  in  Sierra  Leone  onThursday,  citing  concerns  that  local  medical  facilities  have  become  overwhelmed  bythe  spread  of  the  virus.

"There  is  a  lack  of  options  for  routine  health-­care  services  at  major  medical  facilitiesdue  to  the  Ebola  outbreak,"  State  Department  spokeswoman  Marie  Harf  said.

The  State  Department  took  similar  steps  last  week  in  Liberia.  While  the  agency  saidthe  moves  represent  "an  abundance  of  caution,"  they  also  underscore  an  escalatingpublic-­health  crisis  in  West  Africa.

The  disease  appears  contained  in  Nigeria,  but  "elsewhere,  the  outbreak  is  expected  tocontinue  for  some  time,"  the  WHO  said.

Liberia's  government  has  ordered  three  courses  of  the  experimental  drug  ZMapp,which  was  given  earlier  to  two  Americans  infected  with  virus.  Given  the  scarce  globalsupply  of  the  experimental  drugs,  the  decision  of  what  treatments  to  give  to  whichpatients  has  proved  controversial.

The  magnitude  of  the  Ebola  virus  outbreak  may  be  vastly  underestimated,  the  World  Health  Organizationsaid  Thursday.  More  than  1,000  people  have  died  and  nearly  2,000  have  been  sickened.  Photo:  GettyImages

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10/1/2014 Ebola Virus: Nigerian Patients to Be Given Experimental Drug - WSJ

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Though  Nigerian  authorities  are  hopeful,  little  is  known  about  Nano  Silver.  A  Nigeriancontagious-­disease  expert,  Dr.  Simon  Agwale,  said  Nano  Silver  had  proven  effectiveagainst  viruses,  bacteria,  and  parasites.  "It  may  be  also  a  source  of  a  cure"  for  Ebolapatients,  Dr.  Agwale  said.

The  Ebola  outbreak  has  caused  havoc  in  West  Africa,  where  most  of  the  victims  havebeen  concentrated  in  Guinea,  Liberia  and  Sierra  Leone.  Nigeria  and  Ivory  Coast  haverestricted  flights  from  Ebola-­infected  countries  while  Zambia  has  banned  travelersfrom  nations  battling  outbreaks.

Following  a  review  of  its  West  Africa  business,  Kenya  Airways  said  on  Thursday  that  itis  still  operating  flights  in  West  Africa.

The  airline  said  it  is  in  close  contact  with  the  WHO  and  will  continue  to  evaluate  thesituation.  After  consulting  with  the  WHO,  airline  regulators  and  experts,  Kenya  Airwayssaid  it  had  concluded  that  the  current  risks  of  Ebola  spreading  by  air  travel  are"minimal."

"Withdrawing  our  flights  to  these  key  destinations  given  the  safeguards  already  placedby  the  respective  governments  and  global  health  authorities  would  amount  to  acorporate  placement  of  unnecessary  travel  advisory,"  Kenya  Airways  said.

The  WHO  has  labeled  Kenya  as  high  risk  for  the  spread  of  Ebola  because  of  its  statusas  a  transport  hub.  Yet  the  health  body  also  says  the  risks  posed  to  tourists  andbusiness  travelers  to  infected  areas  "is  extremely  low,"  in  part  because  transmissionrequires  direct  contact  with  blood  and  bodily  fluids  of  an  infected  victim.

Korean  Air    said  Thursday  it  was  suspending  its  three-­times  a  weekflights  to  Nairobi  because  of  concerns  over  the  spread  of  the  Ebola  virus.

A  Korean  Air  spokesman  said  the  suspension  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  performanceof  the  segment,  although  he  couldn't  immediately  confirm  the  number  of  passengersper  flight  on  the  route.

—In-­Soo  Nam  and  Jeffrey  Sparshott  contributed  to  this  article.

Write  to  Heidi  Vogt  at  heidi.vogt@wsj.com

Nigerian  health  workers  in  protective  clothing  wait  in  an  emergency  ward  as  preparation  for  receiving  anyemergency  Ebola  patients  at  the  National  Hospital  in  Abuja,  Nigeria,  on  Tuesday.  European  PressphotoAgency

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10/1/2014 Ebola Virus: Nigerian Patients to Be Given Experimental Drug - WSJ

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john fitzgerald

A  new  drugs  will  mean  law  suits  against  drug  companies,  not  the  politicians  who

clamor  for  it.  A  new  African  bonanza

Brian Seel

Why  do  I  have  a  sneaking  suspicion  they'll  find  out  Barry's  wonder  drug  is  just  a

new  version  of  Gatorade?    "Gatorade  G3  now  in  Nano  Silver..."

STEPHEN HAWKINS

Ok  when  you  practice  CPR  the  patient  is  already  considered  dead.  I  remember  the

days  of  "Is  there  a  Doctor  in  the  house?"  Request.  

If  the  suppliers  are  not  selling  false  hope  then  what  is  the  harm  in  trying  vs  doing

nothing?  

It  sounds  shady  but  do  we  have  other  alternatives?  

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