Via Congo Check, a report by Fiston Mahamba: False: Muyembe did not invent a vaccine against Ebola, rather a therapeutic molecule. Excerpt from the Google translation:
A message circulating in several WhatsApp groups in the Central African Republic and the DRC argues that the Western media are trying to stifle the discovery of a 100% effective vaccine against Ebola by Congolese scientist Muyembe Tamfum. It's false.
"Urgent. I ask all Africans to share this publication. Westerners want to stifle Dr. Muyembe's scientific discovery. Dr. Muyembe did find a vaccine against Ebola and that in his laboratory in Kinshasa. Research against the Ebola virus has been 100% funded by the Democratic Republic of Congo. RFI, France 24, CNN ... do not want to spread this innovation and want to smother the story," wrote a message shared on social networks.
"Dr. Muyembe deserves his Nobel Prize. Congolese telema panza sango Congolese rise and spread the news in Lingala language, spoken in the DRC, Congo-Brazzaville, Gabon, ... it is necessary that one stops to stifle the African intelligence. Yesterday Japan recognized the innovation of Dr. Muyembe and awarded him a prize for scientific innovation," the message continues.
However, the project note Pamoja Tulinde Maisha, having conducted the investigation of the clinical trial whose conclusions led to the results of the efficacy of the therapeutic molecule mAb114, does not allude to an invention of a vaccine by Professor Jean -Jacques Muyembe.
The scientist also explained to Congo Check that the treatment put in place by him, his team and his partners is a medicine intended to treat patients already infected with the Ebola virus disease, whereas the vaccine is administered mainly to people who are still healthy. exposed to the virus (confirmed case contacts, contact contacts, front-line health staff).
Although designed by the Congolese doctor, the mAb114 treatment is a property of the US government as specified by the World Health Organization in its note of 11 October 2018 after a consultation on the launch of the clinical trial of experimental treatments in the United States as part of the tenth Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
"The professors Jean-Jacques Muyembe-Tamfum and Sabue Mulangu are listed as inventors of the patent application relating to mAb 114, US Application No.62 / 087, 087 (PCT Application No. PCT / US2015 / 060733) related to the anti-antibodies Ebola virus and their use; although they are among the inventors of this patent application, the invention in question belongs to the United States government," writes the note from the World Health Organization, WHO.
"And professors Jean-Jacques Muyembe-Tamfum and Sabue Mulangu did not receive any money for this invention and, given the low commercial value of the products obtained (limited to use during epidemics of Ebola Zaire), they feel unlikely to receive future revenues as inventors," continues the same note on this link (https://www.who.int/ebola/drc-2018/treatments-approved-for -compassionate-use-update / en /)
The Pamoja Tulinde Maisha (PALM [Saving Together] study) is a randomized controlled trial of four experimental agents (ZMapp, remdesivir, mAb114 and REGN-EB3) for the treatment of patients with Ebola virus disease. The study began on November 20, 2018 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as part of the emergency response to an ongoing Ebola outbreak in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri.
"As of August 9, 2019, 681 patients had been enrolled in the trial, for a total of 725. Patients were recruited from four Ebola treatment centers in Beni, Katwa, Butembo and Mangina. These centers were supervised by staff members of the National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB); the Ministry of Health of the DRC; and three medical humanitarian organizations: the Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA), the International Medical Corps (IMC) and Doctors Without Borders (MSF)," reads the note released by Pamoja Tulinde Maisha.
The trial is monitored by an independent Data and Safety Monitoring Committee (DSMB), which meets periodically to review interim safety and efficacy data and make recommendations to the study team. to the promoters. Following its review on August 9, 2019, the DSMB recommended that the study be discontinued and all future patients randomized to receive either REGN-EB3 or mAb114 during the phase as an extension of the study.
"This recommendation was based on the fact that one of the products, REGN-EB3, had met a criterion for early termination of the protocol. Preliminary results in 499 study participants indicated that individuals receiving REGN-EB3 or mAb114 were more likely to survive compared to participants in the other two groups," wrote the published note to the announcement of the efficacy of these two groups. two treatments, formerly used in a compassionate way.
"The study's lead investigators, statistician, and co-authors accepted this recommendation and the Ebola treatment center staff at the sites were quickly informed. In addition to limiting future randomizations of patients to REGN-EB3 and mAb114, patients randomized to ZMapp or remesivir within the last 10 days now have the option, at the discretion of their attending physician, to receive REGN-EB3 or mAb114," continues the note consulted by CONGO CHECK.
