Tuesday, August 5, 2014

San Diego's Mapp Bio Behind Experimental Ebola Drug

A San Diego-based biopharmaceuticals startup, Mapp Biopharmaceuticals, is the source of the experimental Ebola treatment that has been given to the two Americans who are being treated for the dreaded disease, according to CNN. Mapp Pharmaceuticals, which is developing monoclonal antibodies to treat Ebola, uses antibodies manufactured in Nicotiana plants for its ZMapp compound, which is aimed at preventing the entry of the Ebola virus into cells. According to the report, Dr. Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol, who were both in Liberia, have both been treated using the experimental, treatment, which had not yet been tested in humans, and have "significantly improved" due to the drug. Mapp Biopharmaceutical is backed by LeafBio, Defyrus Inc., the U.S. government, and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).

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