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Clinical Trial for an Oral Drug to Treat Ebola is Registered in the Pan African Clinical Trials Database and is Ready to Go, As the Largest Ebola Outbreak Continues to Expand in DR Congo

NNVC
  • NanoViricides Inc. successfully registered its Phase II clinical trial for the oral drug NV-387 to treat Bundibugyo Ebolavirus & other Ebola strains in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) within the Pan African Clinical Trials Registry.
  • The trial, identified by PACTR202608748555077, received regulatory approval from ACOREP & is led by Principal Investigator Prof. Patrick de Marie Chimusa Katoto.
  • NV-387 Oral Gummies have been shipped to the Ituru province trial site, with the first patient dosing anticipated within one to two weeks pending outbreak impediments.
  • As of September 5, 2026, the DRC outbreak recorded 6,604 confirmed cases & 3,175 deaths, resulting in a crude case fatality rate of 48% that is rising from 46% in mid-August.
  • The outbreak is the largest & fastest-growing Ebola epidemic in DRC history, spreading across six provinces & threatening South Sudan, with over 80% of new cases occurring outside known contact lists.
  • Schools in affected regions have reopened despite transmission risks, noting a child case fatality rate of 60% compared to under 50% for adults.
  • At least 43 healthcare workers have died & 160 have contracted Ebola, highlighting the urgent need for scalable oral treatments over infusion-based therapies.
  • NV-387 is the only orally active agent in clinical trials for treating active Ebola infection, dissolving in the mouth without water & bypassing the need for swallowing.
  • Unlike Remdesivir or antibody cocktails in the PARTNERS trial which target specific viral enzymes or strains, NV-387 mimics host cell receptors (HSPG) to prevent viral escape through mutations.
  • Om Sai CRO is managing the trial execution alongside local experts, while the US CDC notes minimal current risk to the USA but has deployed 150 personnel to DRC.
  • The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in May 2026, with models predicting potential growth to 10,000-20,000 cases within three months.
  • No approved treatments or vaccines exist specifically for the current Bundibugyo variant, prompting concurrent Phase I safety trials for Oxford & Moderna vaccines outside DRC.
  • NV-387 is also being utilized for a separate Phase II Mpox trial in DRC, utilizing the same drug supply shipped to the region.
  • The company emphasizes that broad-spectrum antivirals like NV-387 are critical for combating diverse viral epidemics & pandemic preparedness due to the inability of viruses to easily escape host-receptor mimics.