Ebola Is Now Curable

#1

Post by NoRagrets » Mon, Aug 12, 2019, 7:40 PM UTC

Re: Ebola Is Now Curable

#2

Post by bifrost » Mon, Aug 12, 2019, 8:10 PM UTC

This is awesome that we've seen another horrendous disease go from incurable to curable in my lifetime. While ebola hasn't touched my community like AIDS/HIV has, reading this cracked my RBF and I smiled.

Re: Ebola Is Now Curable

#3

Post by pkaye » Mon, Aug 12, 2019, 9:26 PM UTC

Aren't monoclonal antibodies harder and thus more expensive to manufacturer though?

Re: Ebola Is Now Curable

#4

Post by toyg » Mon, Aug 12, 2019, 9:29 PM UTC

pkaye wrote: post #3

Aren't monoclonal antibodies harder and thus more expensive to manufacturer though?

Does it really matter?

Re: Ebola Is Now Curable

#5

Post by throwaway5752 » Mon, Aug 12, 2019, 9:29 PM UTC

It's great news, but they're observing a 30% mortality rate for the "cure". Absent medical intervention there is still a nontrivial survival rate (mortality rate of 75-90%). With supporting medical treatment before this new treatment - fluid support, etc - I think it's up to 50%? It sounds like the monoclonal antibody treatment has improved odds of survival from 1:10-1:2 to 2:3.

edit: The 6% figure is population restricted to early interventions. I am uncomfortably out of my limited knowledge here, but I think that early intervention numbers are better across the board. I'd want to compare the 6% number to the control. And I don't want to see a control! It is such a good result no matter how you look at it that they wisely halted the trial.

Re: Ebola Is Now Curable

#6

Post by opportune » Mon, Aug 12, 2019, 9:31 PM UTC

toyg wrote: post #4

pkaye wrote: post #3

Aren't monoclonal antibodies harder and thus more expensive to manufacturer though?

Does it really matter?

Well, most of the countries impacted by ebola are quite poor, but I think even ignoring humanitarian concerns, it's probably in wealthier countries' best interests to pay for it strictly from an epidemiological perspective

Re: Ebola Is Now Curable

#7

Post by mpoteat » Mon, Aug 12, 2019, 9:34 PM UTC

opportune wrote: post #6

toyg wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does it really matter?

Well, most of the countries impacted by ebola are quite poor, but I think even ignoring humanitarian concerns, it's probably in wealthier countries' best interests to pay for it strictly from an epidemiological perspective

Plus, also incentives research.

Re: Ebola Is Now Curable

#8

Post by sp332 » Mon, Aug 12, 2019, 9:34 PM UTC

toyg wrote: post #4

pkaye wrote: post #3

Aren't monoclonal antibodies harder and thus more expensive to manufacturer though?

Does it really matter?

The WHO is already running out of funds. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2019-07-24/ebola-fundi...

Re: Ebola Is Now Curable

#9

Post by pkaye » Mon, Aug 12, 2019, 9:34 PM UTC

toyg wrote: post #4

pkaye wrote: post #3

Aren't monoclonal antibodies harder and thus more expensive to manufacturer though?

Does it really matter?

Its good that it exists but it might be very expensive to use it across a broad population. Unlike the older pills that were expensive due to patent exclusivity, here fundamentally each pill is more expensive to make.

Re: Ebola Is Now Curable

#10

Post by sp332 » Mon, Aug 12, 2019, 9:36 PM UTC

throwaway5752 wrote: post #5

It's great news, but they're observing a 30% mortality rate for the "cure". Absent medical intervention there is still a nontrivial survival rate (mortality rate of 75-90%). With supporting medical treatment before this new treatment - fluid support, etc - I think it's up to 50%? It sounds like the monoclonal antibody treatment has improved odds of survival from 1:10-1:2 to 2:3. edit: The 6% figure is population rest…

Other treatments mentioned in the same paragraph cut mortality rates to 34% or 29%.