Health
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What is ZMapp?
ZMapp is an experimental tobacco-based biological drug.
Will I not get Ebola if I take it?
No. ZMapp is a drug, not a vaccine, which means it can help only people who have Ebola. It can’t prevent healthy people from getting the disease. (A vaccine co-developed by GlaxoSmithKline and the National Institutes of Health is in an early testing phase in Bethesda, Maryland.)
Who makes it?
It was developed by San Diego–based biotech company Mapp Biopharmaceutical.
Does it work?
The company says, “We don’t know.” Of the seven people given ZMapp, two died. Earlier testing on mice and monkeys had better results.
Is there more ZMapp?
No. According to an Aug. 11 statement from Mapp, “the available supply of ZMapp has been exhausted.” Thus the person in Dallas recently diagnosed with Ebola is not being given the drug.
What next?
The Department of Health and Human Services has given Mapp $24.9 million to fast-track development over an 18 month contract period, with an option to provide a total of up to $42.3 million. Two other companies, Tekmira and Biocryst Pharmaceuticals, received funding from the Department of Defense to develop Ebola drugs.
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