The decline of Ebola cases in West Africa is great news for everyone, with the exception of those involved in drug research and development, according to a recent NPR blog.
After receiving the first batch of Ebola vaccines, health workers in Liberia administered the injections to 12 volunteers, officially launching the first trials in West Africa. Scientists hope to recruit 27,000 more volunteers to receive the injections.
As the number of Ebola cases drop, finding volunteers and patients may become more and more difficult, hindering drug research and development, according to the report.
Already the decelerating outbreak is impacting clinical research; North Carolina-based biopharmaceutical company Chimerix has halted a planned test of its drug, brincidofover, in Liberia.
"Vaccine researchers need healthy volunteers, not sick people," wrote blog author Richard Harris. "If nobody gets exposed to Ebola after getting the shot, doctors won't be able to tell for sure if the vaccine is effective. But there's value in these experiments, even if the epidemic fades away."
Moving vaccine trials to countries such as Sierra Leone or Guinea could help researchers but the process isn't easy. Instead, World Health Organization officials are focused on ending the current Ebola epidemic and making sure drug tests are ready for the next.
More articles on Ebola:
Criticism over Ebola response leads WHO to create new measures
First batch of Ebola vaccine sent to Liberia
WHO: Ebola on the decline in West Africa