Ebola in Liberia: French nurse with Ebola cured with Japanese drug Avigan

The French nurse, who was diagnosed with Ebola virus disease while engaging in healthcare work in Monrovia, Liberia's capital, and was repatriated to France for treatment, has been confirmed to have r

By: Editorial Team | | Updated: October 6, 2014 11:39 am

The French nurse, who was diagnosed with Ebola virus disease while engaging in healthcare work in Monrovia, Liberia’s capital, and was repatriated to France for treatment, has been confirmed to have recovered from the disease by Doctors Without Borders. Also Read - Ganesh Chaturthi 2020: 4 reasons an eco-friendly Ganesha is good for you

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The medical charity, which has shouldered a large part of the response to the West African outbreak, said Saturday that it received confirmation from the French Health Ministry that the woman had survived the disease. She was evacuated from Liberia and cared for at a hospital near Paris. The University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany also said Saturday that a Senegalese scientist who was infected with Ebola in Sierra Leone has recovered and been discharged. Also Read - Protein to combat Ebola discovered in humans, find researchers

ANSM stated that a treatment combining Avigan and another experimental drug has started on September 19. The patient is taking Avigan as of September 25. Fujifilm and Toyama Chemical will continue to work together with relevant pharmaceutical authorities, international organizations and infectious disease specialists to explore the potential of leveraging Avigan for patients with the Ebola virus disease.

Here are some facts about Favipiravir you should know:

It was discovered in 1998: Yousuke Furuta, a Japanese scientist, who worked at Toyama Chemicals, subsidiary of Fujifilm Holdings Corp., discovered the drug in 1998. It was then customised to treat influenza virus.

It is an anti-viral drug: Also known be the code name T-705; favipiravir is active against several viruses including influenza virus, yellow fever virus, falvivirus and West Nile virus, Western equine encephalitis virus and noroviruses that have RNA as their genetic material. In Japan, the drug was approved as an anti-influenza drug in 2014 to stop on-going influenza pandemics.

Prevents multiplication of viral particles: The drug inhibits replication of viral genetic material by blocking the enzyme RNA polymerase that is required for multiplication of viral particles after they infect the cells. It also has an inhibitory action against different strains of influenza virus that are currently resistant to other antiviral drugs. (Here are E bola virus signs and symptoms you need to watch out for!)

With inputs from PTI

Photo source: Getty images

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Published : October 6, 2014 11:22 am | Updated:October 6, 2014 11:39 am

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