HHS says Americans with high-risk Ebola exposure can receive experimental antibody MBP-134 from Mapp Biopharma

HHS announced that U.S. citizens who have had high-risk exposure to Ebola in the ongoing Central African outbreak will be eligible to receive an experimental antibody therapy.

The treatment, identified as MBP-134, was developed by San Diego-based Mapp Biopharmaceuticals with funding from BARDA, the HHS office that supports medical countermeasures for emerging threats.

While animal studies have shown promising results, the drug has not yet been tested in humans, and the exact number of doses available remains undisclosed because BARDA holds the supply.

The policy follows a recent case in which an American physician infected with Ebola was evacuated to Germany for care, highlighting the need for rapid therapeutic options for exposed U.S. personnel.