人類需要了解的有關抗埃博拉病毒藥物的五件事大綱

In the wake of an Ebola outbreak in West Africa that has resulted in nearly 900 deaths, a tiny pharmaceutical maker has allowed an experimental treatment to be used for two Americans infected with the deadly virus.

西非地區爆發的埃博拉病毒已經導致近900人死亡，現在，一家小型製藥公司研製出了一款試驗性藥物，該藥物已經用於治療兩名被感染的美國人。

California-based Mapp Biopharmaceutical has released its experimental ZMapp drug, which had only been tested on infected animals, to treat Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol, according to Bloomberg News. The two health workers were infected while working in Liberia. The treatments for now appear to be working, Bloomberg said, citing relatives and supporters.

據彭博社報道，總部位於加利福尼亞州的Mapp生物製藥公司最近推出了一款名叫ZMapp的試驗性藥物，該藥之前只在感染了埃博拉病毒的動物身上測試過，現在正用於治療肯特o布蘭特利和南茜o萊特博爾，這兩位醫務人員在利比里亞工作期間感染了埃博拉病毒。據彭博社（Bloomberg News）從病人家屬和看護人員那裏瞭解到的情況看，目前這種藥物已經起效了。

Here are five things to know about Mapp and its efforts to develop a potential treatment for the Ebola virus.

關於Mapp生物製藥公司，以及它推出的這款抗埃博拉病毒藥物，有五點值得我們瞭解。

1) The Ebola virus has no cure. The Disease is a severe illness in humans, with a fatality rate of up to 90%. Outbreaks often occur in remote villages in Central and West Africa, near tropical rain forests, according to the World Health Organization. It is introduced into the human population through close contact with blood or other bodily fluids of infected animals, WHO says.

（1）埃博拉病毒目前無法治癒。該病毒會導致人體的嚴重疾病，致死率高達90%。據世界健康組織介紹，該病毒通常在中非和西非的邊遠農村地爆發。它一般是通過與被感染動物的血液或其它體液的密切接觸而傳播到人體的。

2) Mapp, which was founded in 2003, has no commercially available treatments on the market. The company focuses on “unmet needs in global health and biodefense,” and currently has 10 antibody product development programs, with one of those focusing on the Ebola virus.

（2）Mapp生物製藥公司創立於2003年，目前市場上尚無該公司生產的藥品出售。該公司主要關注“全球健康和生化防禦領域尚未滿足的需求”，現有10個抗體產品開發項目，其中之一就是針對埃博拉病毒。

3) Mapp and a few other biopharmaceutical companies earlier this year were awarded a five-year grant of up to $28 million for a project to fight the Ebola virus. The grant, awarded by the National Institutes of Health, is meant to be a global collaboration to develop cocktails to fight Ebola and other hemorrhagic fever viruses such as Marburg, Sudan and Lassa viruses. The program is meant to encourage all participates to contribute antibodies to develop the best possible treatment.

（3）今年年初，Mapp等幾家生物製藥公司獲得了一筆五年期最高2800萬美元的獎金，用於一個抗擊埃博拉病毒的項目。這筆獎金是由美國國立衛生研究院（National Institutes of Health）提供的，旨在通過全球合作開發出抗擊埃博拉病毒和青猴病、蘇丹亞型埃博拉病毒、拉沙病毒等出血熱病毒的雞尾酒療法。這筆獎金意在激勵所有參與方貢獻抗體，以開發最佳治療方案。

4) That grant was awarded after research from the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases showed that a mix of antibodies can stop the Ebola virus. Scientists were able to successfully treat infected primates following the onset of disease symptoms. Around that time, Mapp had consolidated its antibody programs with Canada-based Defyrus, aiming to streamline the development of more potent treatments.

（4）就在這筆獎金髮放之前，美國陸軍傳染病醫學研究院（U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases）的研究顯示，一系列抗體的組合可以阻止埃博拉病毒的惡化。在試驗中，科學家們已經成功地治療了開始出現病毒症狀的靈長類動物。與此同時，Mapp公司也已經和加拿大的Defyrus公司展開合作，以優化更多專利療法的研發過程。

5) The potential success of Mapp’s drug in treating Americans infected with the disease does raise questions about the limited use of experimental treatments after hundreds of Africans have died. Bloomberg reported the Food and Drug Administration can approve an emergency application to provide access to unapproved drugs, a request that can be granted within 24 hours.

（5）在治療兩名美國醫務人員時，Mapp公司的新藥表現出良好的療效。因此，很多人質疑說，在幾百名非洲人已經死亡的情況下，爲什麼美國政府還要限制這款試驗性藥物？據彭博社報道，美國食品與藥品監督局（FDA）可以在24小時之內，通過一項使用未獲批准藥物的緊急決議。