Favipiravir is currently in phase 3 trials for treatment of influenza. In Japan, it is approved for use for influenza. It most certainly can be used under the compassionate use exemption for experimental drugs. That is how they managed to get permission to try brincidofovir to treat Mr. Duncan.
I do not think that brincidofovir was a good choice to try, since it was developed to be a DNA virus inhibitor, and is not approved for clinical use anywhere in the world.
Anyway, thanks for posting this. The misspellings in the article drive me nuts, but the information is good.
> It most certainly can be used under the compassionate use exemption for experimental drugs. That is how they managed to get permission to try brincidofovir to treat Mr. Duncan.
Well, if you are willing to wait until after you’ve tested positive for Ebola, then request from the doctors for the ‘compassionate use exemption’, then have the drug brought in to your hospital from wherever they can get it, then I suppose you can have your mid-to-late-stage Ebola treated with Favipiravir. However, if you want to maximize your chances for survival, it would probably be best to start dosing with Lamivudine immediately after developing a fever, before you’ve even been tested for Ebola.
It’s not like Lamivudine has severe side effects. It is generally very well tolerated, and thousands of people take it every day for months or years.