US approves ‘Ebola drug’ for use in Liberia

The Liberian government has confirmed that United States will send the untested experimental Zmapp drug to its Ebola patients.

According to BBC, the decision was reached after Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf made a request for the drug from the US.

The drug has been credited with stabilising American medics, nurse Nancy Writebol and doctor Kent Brantly (pictured) before they were airlifted to the US from Liberia where they contracted the virus during their work to stave off its spread.

The US government officials said their role had been to put Liberian officials in contact with Zmapp maker Mapp Biopharmaceutical, BBC reported.

The pharmaceutical company said having sent the drugs to West Africa “at no cost in all cases”, its supply of the drug was exhausted.

Till date, the drug has only been tested on monkeys and has not yet been evaluated for safety in humans.

This is a risk that Liberian minister of information, Lewis Brown, is aware of, but he believes using an untested drug is of lesser risk than watching people die.

“The alternative for not testing this is death, a certain death. This is not even the rock and the hard place for us,” he said.

“We think those who have been infected should be given the chance to have that tested on them if they give their consent to do so.

“We know there may be risks associated with it, but choosing a risk and choosing dying, I am sure many would prefer to see that risk happen.”

News of the release of Zmapp will be received with cheer among Liberians, coupled with China’s decision to send medical supplies worth $4.9m dollars to Ebola-afflicted countries.