NC physician petitions FDA to ‘fast-track’ Tekmira’s Ebola drug
With the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) raging through West Africa resulting in the largest outbreak of the lethal disease since first found in 1976, one North Carolina physician is petitioning the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to fast-track research into Ebola treatment, in particular, urging the FDA to release its hold on Tekmera Pharmaceuticals’ TKM-Ebola.
Public domain image/Mondo Magic
On his petition on the website, Change.org, Dr. Ahmed Tejan-Sie, an internist from North Carolina who earned his medical degree in Nigeria says, “Viral hemorrhagic fever caused by the Ebola virus currently does not have an approved cure or vaccine. However there are several vaccines and drugs in the developmental stage…Given that at least one patient has transferred the disease from Liberia to Nigeria by air travel, the possibility of a global pandemic becomes increasingly likely. In view of this, it’s imperative that the development of these drugs be fast tracked by the FDA and the first step should be releasing the hold on TKM-Ebola.”
“This drug has been shown to be highly effective in killing the virus in primates and Phase 1 clinical trials to assess its safety in humans were started earlier this year. In July this year the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States of America placed a hold on this trial despite the fact that 14 research participants had already safely tolerated the drug.”
Ahmed also says the FDA has fast-tracked anti-Ebola drugs before and even did so just last year when a researcher was exposed to the virus and received an experimental vaccine.
As of this writing, the petition has received 725 signatures.
Related: Ebola: Sierra Leone declares ‘State of Public Emergency’
Dr. Tejan-Sie should say categorically whether or not he has a financial interest in Tekmira Pharmaceuticals. And maybe he should take the money and skills he learned in the west to Sierra-Leone and actually help the people there combat the Ebola virus.
[…] Related: NC physician petitions FDA to ‘fast-track’ Tekmira’s Ebola drug […]