Can The Efficacy Of Potential Ebola Treatment Brincidofovir Match Its Clinical Advantages?

Chimerix’s Brincidofovir (CMX-001), a potentially broad-spectrum antiviral drug, made headlines last week when it was administered to two Ebola patients receiving treatment in the U.S. Though Thomas Duncan passed away in Dallas last week, Ashoka Mukpo reports signs of recovery, according to ABC.

Since the West African Ebola outbreak began in March, researchers have been on a mad race to find a potential cure for a deadly disease which has claimed more than 3,000 people. Forbes reports that brincidofovir was pushed to the front of the pack of treatment options because of its safety profile, efficacy against other viruses, and because an ample manufactured supply is currently available.

CMX-001 is a nucleotide analog designed to prevent a virus from replicating and spreading throughout the body. The drug is currently undergoing phase 3 clinical trials for its use against the adenovirus, a particular risk for patients with compromised immune systems. Preliminary data from the study of 48 patients shows a significant reduction in mortality rates in the first month of treatment, 35 percent compared to 80.

Garett Nichols, CMO of Chimerix, notes, “It is also important that, particularly in patients who are struggling with adenovirus infection, more than one-third of patients have more than one DNA virus, which underscores the need for a safe and broad-spectrum anti-viral.”

Whether or not Ebola can be added to the list of viruses treatable by CMX-001 is a matter which has not been clinically studied. Some doctors expressed doubts that a drug designed to treat DNA viruses could treat something like Ebola, an RNA virus.

Previous cases of Ebola in the U.S. were treated with experimental doses of Mapp Pharmaceutical’s ZMapp and Tekmira’s TKM-Ebola. These patients survived, but researchers lack the clinical data to support the drug’s role in their recovery.

Thomas Friedan, CDC director, told Reuters that ZMapp was not used in Dallas because there was no supply available, and TKM-Ebola “can be quite difficult for patients to take” and “can actually make someone sicker.”

Though CMX-001 has not been tested against Ebola outside of a test-tube (where it showed “potent activity”), it has undergone substantial clinical testing in humans and exhibits a good safety profile. Also, its presence in clinical trials also indicates that a supply exists and, unlike ZMapp, a biologic, manufacturing CMX-001 can be increased quickly.

Forbes added that because CMX-001 is a tablet taken orally, it is easier to administer and transport to patients in need.

It is in the best interest of the NIH, CDC, and WHO that CMX-001 undergoes clinical study as quickly as possible to ascertain if its efficacy against Ebola can match its treatment advantages.

Chimerix reported on their website that as of right now, the FDA is granting access to the drug only on a case-by-case basis and only at the request of an attending physician.