Ethical to use untested Ebola drugs, says WHO

[cronus]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-28754160

Ethical to use untested Ebola drugs, says WHO

Untested drugs can be used to treat patients infected with the Ebola virus, the World Health Organization says.

The WHO said it was ethical in light of the scale of the outbreak and high number of deaths - over 1,000 people have died in west Africa..

The statement was made after its medical experts met in Switzerland on Monday to discuss the issue.

The move came as Liberia said it was getting an experimental drug, Zmapp, after requests to the US government.

The WHO said where experimental treatments are used there must be informed consent and the results of the treatment collected and shared.

In a statement, it said: "In the particular circumstances of this outbreak, and provided certain conditions are met, the panel reached consensus that it is ethical to offer unproven interventions with as yet unknown efficacy and adverse effects, as potential treatment or prevention."

Last week the WHO declared the Ebola outbreak was a global health emergency.

(continued, so the panic testing begins and hints at the computer model of the progress of this disease being quite frightening?)

[rainbow]

I don't really see why anyone should object. What side effect could be worse than death?

[cronus]

I don't really see why anyone should object. What side effect could be worse than death?

There's no way they'll scale up production in time. This won't cure you. Only for the very rich - once they've made sure it doesn't make death any worse....

[JimC]

Experiments on poor black people without the legal muscle to sue your arse off if it all goes horribly wrong...

Good one, Big Pharma!