‘Ebola drug’ has been exhausted, says US firm

The supply of the experimental Ebola drug given to two American aid workers is now “exhausted”, U.S. manufacturer Mapp Biopharmaceutical said Monday.

The San Diego-based company said in a statement posted on its website that it received the request during the weekend for the drug known as ZMapp but didn’t make public the country’s name.

The company said it had complied with every request for ZMapp that had the necessary legal and regulatory authorisation and that it provided the drug at no cost in all cases.

“It is the requesters’ decision whether they wish to make public their request, acquisition, or use of the experimental drug.

“Any decision to use ZMapp must be made by the patients’ medical team,” the statement said.

While there is no known cure for the disease, two US aid workers diagnosed with Ebola while treating patients in Liberia were reportedly feeling stronger after receiving ZMapp.

However, that has raised questions about whether the untested and unapproved drug should be used in the outbreak.

The Liberian presidency statement said the head of the WHO, Margaret Chan, had authorised the dispatch of additional doses of the experimental drug to Liberia, but Minister Brown said it was not clear if this was true.

A WHO spokeswoman, Fadela Chaib, said supplies were “very scarce.”

“They have less than a dozen [doses] of it. It is very important to discuss who should get it and if it is ethical to use it,” Chaib told a briefing.

Nigeria also requested for the drug, but President Barack Obama said the drug was not yet available for use.