The Evolution of Medical Countermeasures for Ebola Virus Disease: Lessons Learned and Next Steps
Ian Crozier,
Kyla A. Britson,
Daniel N. Wolfe,
John D. Klena,
Lisa E. Hensley,
John S. Lee,
Larry A. Wolfraim,
Kimberly L. Taylor,
Elizabeth S. Higgs,
Joel M. Montgomery,
Karen A. Martins
Affiliations
Ian Crozier
Clinical Monitoring Research Program Directorate, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
Kyla A. Britson
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Washington, DC 20201, USA
Daniel N. Wolfe
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Washington, DC 20201, USA
John D. Klena
Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
Lisa E. Hensley
Integrated Research Facility, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD 12116, USA
John S. Lee
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Washington, DC 20201, USA
Larry A. Wolfraim
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Rockville, MD 20852, USA
Kimberly L. Taylor
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Rockville, MD 20852, USA
Elizabeth S. Higgs
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Rockville, MD 20852, USA
Joel M. Montgomery
Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
Karen A. Martins
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Washington, DC 20201, USA
The Ebola virus disease outbreak that occurred in Western Africa from 2013–2016, and subsequent smaller but increasingly frequent outbreaks of Ebola virus disease in recent years, spurred an unprecedented effort to develop and deploy effective vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics. This effort led to the U.S. regulatory approval of a diagnostic test, two vaccines, and two therapeutics for Ebola virus disease indications. Moreover, the establishment of fieldable diagnostic tests improved the speed with which patients can be diagnosed and public health resources mobilized. The United States government has played and continues to play a key role in funding and coordinating these medical countermeasure efforts. Here, we describe the coordinated U.S. government response to develop medical countermeasures for Ebola virus disease and we identify lessons learned that may improve future efforts to develop and deploy effective countermeasures against other filoviruses, such as Sudan virus and Marburg virus.
