Ebola Epidemic Unlikely But Not Impossible, Says Immunovaccine Inc. CEO

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October 29, 2014

By Riley McDermid, BioSpace.com Senior Breaking News Editor

Although an Ebola epidemic is unlikely in the United States, it is not impossible, said the chief executive of a biotech developing a vaccine for the deadly virus, and global regulators should do everything they can to help monitor and restrict activities that could cause it to spread, Marc Mansour, chief executive officer of Immunovaccine Inc. , told BioSpace this week.

“We agree that an Ebola epidemic in the US is unlikely due to the country’s ability to implement quarantine and surveillance measures. These activities should help effectively restrict its entry into the U.S. and its spread should it appear in the U.S.,” said Mansour.

“That said, it is not impossible because this virus has the ability to enter undetected prior to presentation of symptoms,” he added. “For this reason, it is critical to be vigilant about early detection and restriction, including aggressive control of entry points into the country such as airports.”

Immunovaccine‘s vaccine DPX-Ebola was developed in collaboration with the NIH/NIAID. NIH/NIAID provided the antigen and Immunovaccine formulated it in its DepoVax technology. Immunovaccine‘s DepoVax technology tested well in an Ebola virus challenge study performed by the NIH/NIAID late this summer (August).

In the study using cynomolgus monkeys, which were particularly sensitive to the Ebola virus, all vaccinated subjects survived exposure to the lethal dose. All unvaccinated control animals succumbed to the disease.

Based on this efficacy, Immunovaccine is working with the NIH/NIAID to ramp up studies of DPX-Ebola for 2015. New data are expected to support advancing DPX-Ebola into human studies.

Mansour said that so far, global regulators have done a good job of putting into place restrictions and common-sense public health measures that can keep populations safe. But it’s important for the public to educate themselves about how and why Ebola can spread, he stressed.

“Past experience with Ebola virus outbreaks has led many to believe that they are self-limiting events, leading to a false sense of security initially when this current event initiated,” said Mansour. “However, now that the magnitude of the problem is apparent, and we now have a better understanding of how the disease can rapidly spread and the significant risk presented by Ebola carriers before detection of symptoms, it has prompted more robust actions from governments and health agencies globally.”

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